


Even Monsters have Hearts

by TrappedInAPentagram



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Demon AU, Demon Danny, Demon Sean, Demon Summoning, Egobang - Freeform, Feels, Fluff, M/M, Making Out, No Smut, Polygrumps, Septiplier - Freeform, antisepticeye i guess, demon holly, sorry - Freeform, this got more serious than i anticipated, this'll be fun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-01
Updated: 2017-02-20
Packaged: 2018-07-28 14:51:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 39,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7645333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrappedInAPentagram/pseuds/TrappedInAPentagram
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arin is new to the summoning business, so he starts with a (supposedly) low level demon that's a lot cuter than demons ought to be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. You Summoned Who?

**Author's Note:**

> Well, a few people hoped I'd write more, so here we go, grumps fic numero dos (i never took spanish I'm so sorry spanish speaking people). I've always been a sucker for demon AU's, and I know I can't be the only one so there. a lot of this will be drawing influence from the Bartimaeus trilogy, which is a great series if any avid fantasy readers out there need a suggestion. anyway here we go enjoy!

Arin took a deep breath. He'd gone over the summoning process at least a hundred times. He had double checked every sigil, triple checked all the right seals, and after months of study, he was ready to summon his first demon. By his age in the magic business, he should have been able to summon minor beings by now, but he'd never really took an interest in it until he heard how useful demons could be from his fellow conjurer Mark. 

In any case, he took several more deep breaths, pretending he wasn't procrastinating, nervous about his first choice of demon. He'd looked into some beginner level demons, finding that this one liked sunlight, so it couldn't be all bad, right? He left the curtains in the room open for this purpose, hoping it'd earn him some brownie points, if the demon took a liking to him. 

He looked at his book and started reading the incantation as he'd been practicing. Not one syllable could be out of place, or the demon could be able to escape its pentagram.

The interior of the pentagram's border started filling with smoke, an invisible circular wall containing it in a columnar shape. Arin ignored the fact he was starting to sweat, continuing the incantation. It didn't make it any more comforting when a pair of red eyes shined through the smoke. He kept reading as a figure solidified, deciding it'd be best if he kept his eyes glued to the page until after he was done.

When the words of summoning and binding were finally over with, Arin steeled himself before looking up...

And blinking in surprise.

There was a human in his pentagram. Well, it certainly looked human. The being he'd summoned was tall, like a person who'd been stretched a tad too far, ending up with skinny limbs and a mass of curly brown hair atop his head. The demon wore a black leather jacket and torn up jeans, a pair of tennis on its feet. All in all...his demon was rather cute.

Arin snapped out of it when the demon asked, "What do you want? I was in the middle of a game," in a whiny voice, which Arin found added to the demon's adorableness.

 _I can't think like that--this thing is a demon, it isn't supposed to be cute. Is it even a demon?_ , Arin thought. "Uh..." Arin said elegantly. "State your name," he said, trying to sound commanding.

The demon raised a brow before simply answering, "Dan. My friends call me Danny, sometimes."

Arin narrowed his eyes. Was this demon serious? Dan? He was expecting something like Beelzebub, or Beetlejuice at the very least. "Oh," Arin replied. "Well, uh...nice to meet you."

Dan stared at him before breaking into a grin, saying, "You've never summoned a demon before, have you?" smugly.

"Hey, don't skip to conclusions, I did manage to summon you with no--" Arin started to retort before Dan stepped out of the pentagram, which wasn't supposed to be possible, assuming he'd done all his symbols...

"You missed a line in the writ of sealing," Danny pointed to a symbol to his lower right. 

"...Oh," Arin said, looking back up to Dan and trying to cover the nervousness in his chuckle. "Well then."

Dan flashed a smile, his teeth suddenly sharp, irises turning from brown to a void of black that overtook his whole eyes. "I do admit, you made a good first effort. Everything else is practically spot on."

"Uh...practically?" Arin said, trying to buy time as he tried to come up with some form of defense or banishment spell.

"Yeah," Dan nodded, invading Arin's personal space, "I like lavender candles, not cherry blossom. What do they even put in the books on me anymore?" he pouted.

"Oh, sorry, I just...thought it'd be your preference," Arin said, confused, wondering why the demon hadn't stabbed him and left by now.

"I am glad you got the sunlight part right, though," Dan grinned, teeth no longer sharp, turning his head to the window. "You should've seen your fuckin' face, dude," he giggled.

"Wh--what?" Arin was now flabbergasted.

When Dan turned back to Arin, his face was completely normal. "I'm not gonna kill someone for one little mistake, man. Not all demons are like that. I am a bit peeved you interrupted my game of Texas hold 'em with some buds, though."

"...Sorry?"

"Nah, don't worry about it, I was losing anyway," Dan admitted sheepishly. "But uh...what can I do for you, as long as I'm here?"

"...What?"

"You're really new to this, aren't you?" Dan sighed. "When people summon demons, usually they already have some sort've task in mind for the demon to carry out. Didn't someone teach you about all this?"

"No, I...read on it myself," Arin replied. "I'm a self taught conjurer, after my first career didn't work out."

"Oh, what'd you used to do?" Danny asked, tilting his head in genuine interest, picking his legs up and looking like he was sitting on a tall stool, though he was levitating.

Arin tried not to stare, "I used to be an animator, y'know, like I'd bring people's brooms and sponges and stuff to 'life' to automatically do their chores. It just got old."

"Ah," Dan nodded, "so you took it up a notch?" he grinned.

"You could say that," Arin said.

Dan giggled, "Well then. Seeing as you have nothing else in mind..."

"I mean, I do have some questions," Arin said quickly, not wanting to leave the company of Dan so soon.

"Of course you do," Dan sighed, Arin noticing that Dan had formed a classic, thin tail with a spear-tip at the end to swish back and forth. 

"Oh man," Arin suddenly remembered, "I gotta show you to my friend, Mark, dude! He's a summoner, too, he probably would love to meet you."

"I mean, I am kinda at your command," Dan said, "but before we do that, can I at least know your name?"

"Oh, right. Arin," Arin said, gaining enough confidence to hold his hand out.

"Sweet," Dan said, a lazy grin settling over his mouth as he fist bumped Arin's hand instead. "Nice to meet you," he smirked.

"Fuck off," Arin rolled his eyes.

"So, you gonna hit me with questions now or after meeting your friend?"

"Hm...after a couple," Arin decided, "I've been dying to know a few things that aren't covered well in the books."

"Shoot," Dan said, waving a hand in absent invitation.

"So...you can change form?" Arin said, wishing he had a notebook on hand.

"You noticed," Dan chuckled. "It's more like...we can change bits and pieces when we like, since it doesn't take much magic energy to do so. We also have a human form and a demon form, I s'pose. It's a lot easier to get along with other people if we don't look like monsters, y'know?"

"Uh huh," Arin said in genuine intrigue, watching Dan and trying to focus, but the demon had an almost hypnotic effect on him. The more he spoke, the more comfortable Arin started feeling, thinking about how sweet this demon was rather than paying attention to his explanation on shapeshifting.

"It's just...better if we blend in," Dan said, oblivious to the effect he had on the human. "Of course, some demons are prideful and stay in their demon form regardless, but...they're more likely to be hunted down, chastised," Dan frowned. "That's why a lot of us try to hide our identities," he glanced away. Arin sensed a story there, but he figured he shouldn't press at the moment.

Arin changed the topic to make Dan more comfortable, "So...can you show me yours?"

"Wha?" Dan said, blinking and straightening in surprise. "But..."

"What? I'll bet it's awesome, I've never seen a demon before."

"And...you thought it'd be a brilliant idea to summon one when you barely knew what you were up against?"

"Well," Arin shrugged, mumbling, "you were in the beginner books..."

Dan looked slightly insulted, repeating, "Beginner?"

"I mean...yeah," Arin rubbed his neck, "aren't you?"

"Dude," Dan said, leaning forward, saying slowly, "I'm a class three demon."

Arin stared at Dan. Class...three? He thought he'd barely manage to summon a tier one demon. He couldn't imagine how strong one had to be to summon a class five demon, the strongest of summonable beings. He immediately wondered what tier Mark's demon was on.

"I...I had no..." Arin muttered, reaching for his book and missing several times before managing to pick it up. There it was, the incantation he used, bookmarked and ready. He scanned it, Dan watching him with an amused brow raised, Arin running his fingers along each line and pausing when he realized the word he'd mispronounced in the foreign summoner's dialect. "...I meant to say Damn," he said. He and Dan shared a moment of silence before the pair burst into laughter. 

"Really, man?" Dan choked between laughs, "What's the rest of the line?"

"Somethin' like 'And I implore ye, damn my enemies' or some shit," Arin laughed, rubbing a hand over his face. "I dunno what happened."

"You fucked up, that's what happened," Dan said with a huge smile and a smug look.

"It was my first try!" Arin snapped, blushing and snapping the book shut. "But yeah I fucked up big time. Could've gone a lot worse, though."

"Oh yeah," Dan snorted, patting Arin's shoulder, "yeah it could've."

"Well," Arin said after catching his breath. "You ah...need anything to eat or drink before we head out?"

"Your blood," Dan said, suddenly very serious.

Arin stared at him. Dan lightened up, punching his shoulder and saying, "You're so fun to mess with."

"Shut up," Arin huffed, walking briskly to the door, Dan shaking his head and following, finding that for the first time in a long time, he liked his summoner.


	2. Show and Tell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol i suck at titles don't look at me  
> anyway as a forewarning i have no idea how long this work is gonna end up being we'll see what happens so buckle up for a hell of a ride folks

Dan had his hands shoved in his pockets, taking long, slow strides alongside Arin, their gaits matching fairly well so that neither had to rush or slow down to keep up with the other. Arin said, "So...can you like, see other demons and shit?" quietly, not wanting to draw attention to the fact he was walking with an inhuman. "I mean, you can tell if other people are actually demons in disguise, right?"

"Yeah, for most of them," Dan nodded. "Comes with being a class three. Some class fives can hide their true forms from us lower classes, though."

"Have you ever met a class five?" Arin asked curiously.

"No, though I did get into a scuffle with a class four, once," Dan brushed a finger over his right eyebrow, which, Arin hadn't noticed until that moment, had a small scar splitting it. "It didn't really go my way," Dan chuckled coldly.

"Well...you're alive, so that's gotta count for something."

"Yeah, I guess," Dan mumbled. He brightened up and chirped, "Anyway, I'm not much of a fighter, but that doesn't mean I don't have some tricks up my sleeve."

"Like being really good at pussin' out and running?" Arin guessed with a smirk.

Dan rolled his eyes, "Maybe a little. But being a class three means that demons on a lower tier than me don't really mess with me, and even other class threes try not to get tangled up in fights with their own class. We stick with our own, y'know?"

"Sure," Arin shrugged, having no idea how the demon hierarchy system worked, simply taking Dan's word for it.

"Are we almost to your friend's?" Dan asked, getting a bit antsy at being exposed in an area unknown to him.

"Yeah, just down the block," Arin pointed to a good sized house not far away, the yard looking like it was kept in good shape by its keeper. Their long legs carried them there in record time, Arin knocking on the door.

They heard a voice on the inside shout, "One minute!" Arin and Dan exchanged a look, Arin shrugging before they heard footsteps rushing inside, a man with a tuft of fiery red hair and glasses answering the door. "Arin!" he said excitedly, opening his arms, which Dan noted were impressively muscular. 

"Sup, Mark?" Arin grinned, about to accept the hug before he noticed a flash of green behind his friend, another man pushing Mark aside to glare at the two visitors.

"And just who the fack're you?" the second man said in an irked Irish accent, his lime green hair a stark contrast to Mark's, both men with a light layer of scruff on their jaws and upper lips. 

Mark said, "Jeesh, Sean, calm down. This is an old friend of mine, and his...other, friend?" Mark looked confused.

"Uh, hey," Dan waved shyly, "I'm Dan, I'm-"

"A demon," Sean frowned. 

"Well, yeah, if you'd let me explain," Dan mumbled.

"I wanted to show you, Mark," Arin interjected. "I summoned him like, thirty minutes ago."

"Oh, congrats! I'm proud of you," Mark grinned. He suddenly looked startled, "I didn't even invite you in yet, I'm sorry, that was rude..."

"Don't worry about it, man," Arin said, "I mean, your friend just startled me a little. You said your name was Sean-?"

" _You_ can call me Jack," Sean pointed at him, his icy blue irises turning purple, surrounded by a black void, "and that goes fer you, too," he switched to pointing at Dan, who leaned back slightly at the aggression.

Mark set a hand on Sean's shoulder, "Calm down, bud. They're nice people."

Sean frowned, his eyes melting back to normal, mumbling, "Sorry, I'm not just used ta people visitin' outta the blue."

"I know," Mark said, dropping his hand, Dan starting to wonder how Mark had such a good control over his demonic companion.

"So, I take it Se-" Arin stopped at Jack's glare, "Jack is the demon you summon?"

"He is--fiercely loyal one, at that," Mark grinned, giving Jack a sideways look as Jack glanced away, a light blush creeping up in his cheeks that no one wanted to point out. "But we can discuss more inside," Mark said, looking around outside to make sure there were no spectators.

"Right," Arin nodded, gesturing for Dan to enter the house, first. Dan locked eyes with Jack for a moment, Jack staying silent but warning him against causing trouble with his gaze. Dan inclined his head in brief respect, Arin entering the house, Mark shutting the door behind them all.

"What tier is Jack, if you don't mind me asking?" Arin asked, sitting on the couch in the living room area when Mark gestured to the empty seats.

"Class three," Mark answered, "and you?" he turned to address Dan, Dan surprised at being so easily brought into the conversation. Usually, demons were left to their own devices when their summoners were conversing with other humans.

Dan said, "Three, as well."

"I coulda told ya that," Jack mumbled, picking his legs up to sit cross-legged in midair, sort've like Dan had done when Arin had summoned him. Jack set his elbow on his knee to rest his chin on his hand, Mark grinning and patting Jack's back.

"I know," Mark said, Jack's eyelids drooping as Mark rubbed his back, looking more relaxed by the minute. Dan began to suspect they had a deeper relationship than what was normal between a demon and their summoner, but he didn't want to assume.

Arin, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to this, saying, "How long have you been summoning Jack for, then?"

"Oh, I dunno, maybe just over a year?" Mark guessed.

"A year n' two months," Jack said, eyes still mostly closed.

"Wow," Arin said, "I didn't think people usually bonded with a demon like that."

"They don't, I just took a liking to Jack," Mark said, quickly continuing, "he's more like a good friend than a servant, I mean."

"Uh huh," Dan said with a small smile, his expression snapping back into a blank slate as Jack opened his eyes to glare at him again.

"That's gotta be nice," Arin said. "I mean, I just met Dan, but he seems cool."

"Really? That's all you have to say?" Dan said, sounding more amused than insulted.

"Yeah. You seem like a cool guy. It's a compliment," Arin said matter-of-factly.

Mark chortled, "Arin's great with words, always has been."

"Fuck off, you're not exactly Shakespeare, either," Arin snapped.

"Oi," Jack growled, straightening, "don't take that tone with him."

"Uh," Arin blinked, "sorry." Arin didn't notice that Dan's muscles had also tensed, subconsciously preparing for a fight, Dan wondering why he would've bothered defending Arin if things had turned south, anyway. 

Mark said, "Let's all just calm down," soothingly, his deep voice good for demanding compliance. "I can make some tea, if anyone else wants any."

"Sure," Arin replied, keeping an eye on Jack, who nodded.

"I like tea," Dan agreed.

"Alright then," Mark grinned, ruffling Jack's hair briefly, Jack making a half-hearted effort to bat his hand away. "I'll be right back."

"I'll help you," Jack said, ceasing to hover to walk with Mark to the kitchen, throwing looks over his shoulder every couple steps.

Dan waited a moment before saying, "Well they seem friendly," in an overly cheerful manner.

"Yeah, Mark's a nice guy," Arin said, "but I've never met Jack before this."

"I can tell by the way he almost ripped your head off, twice."

"It's not like I meant to insult him," Arin mumbled quietly.

"Just...be careful, okay?" Dan said, shifting his weight.

Arin raised a brow but said, "Sure, Dan," before they heard the tea kettle start to whistle, due to Jack helping heat it by breathing a small jet of flame at it.

"Everyone okay with earl grey?" Mark called.

Arin saw Dan nod and answered, "Yeah," for the both of them.

"Alrighty then," Mark said, adding the tea leaves in a strainer, Jack looking like he was speaking softly to him. 

Dan tilted his head, trying to hear what he was saying, before Arin recaptured his attention by saying, "Mark's a really good cook. Maybe we should stay for dinner."

"Uh, sure, maybe," Dan said, looking back to the kitchen in time to see that Jack had been staring at him, the green-haired demon quickly turning to focus on the tray of cookies he was assembling. Dan frowned, wondering what his deal was, thinking that if they were invited to stay, it was gonna be a long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> jack is a little possessive of his summoner can ya tell? X3


	3. Stronger than You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> steven universe ref with the title? eh? anyone?  
> also sorry this update was later than the last one, i just kept getting caught up in other things, hopefully from here on i can maintain a steady basis of an update every other day or so, depending how busy my life gets

When Mark had set them all up with tea and cookies, he and Jack re-seated themselves at the table. Mark was still smiling warmly, saying, "So Arin, how'd you manage to summon a class three demon on your first try?"

"It's actually a funny story," Arin rubbed his neck. "I just got a word wrong, so Dan popped up instead of the class one demon I meant to conjure."

Mark snorted, "Only you could mess up that badly and have it go your way."

"I guess," Arin grinned sheepishly.

"Bout of dumb luck, I'd call it," Jack said, biting into a cookie rather harshly.

"It was," Arin agreed. 

Dan chipped in, "Any other demon would probably have broken his ribs and laughed; he got one of the sigils wrong."

Mark raised a brow, "You gotta be more careful, bud. It's a miracle you did end up with Dan, and not some vengeful tier five."

"Trust me, I know," Arin said, trying the tea. He made a face, asking, "Do you have cream?"

"And sugar?" Dan requested.

"Absolutely," Mark said, snapping his fingers towards a small sugar dish that came floating towards them, as well as a bottle of milk that floated over from the fridge. 

Arin mumbled, "Woah," still unused to many displays of magic. Jack looked a bit proud of Mark for effortlessly using a transportation spell, taking a sip of his own tea quietly.

"Anyway," Mark continued as Arin and Dan added their fix-ins, "I was going to start dinner soon, if you two wanted to stay."

"Oh, we don't want to intrude," Arin said, more out of politeness.

"It's no trouble, we haven't had the chance to cook for guests in a long time," Mark smiled. "You guys like salmon?"

"Yeah," Arin said, followed by Dan's, "Sure."

"Salmon it is--I know a great glaze," Mark said excitedly. "Sean, give me a hand?"

"Of course," Jack responded, standing and holding a hand out, an apron appearing in it, which he tied around himself. Mark tried not to act like he was checking Jack out in said apron, going back about his business pulling ingredients from cabinets.

"Can we help?" Dan offered.

"You don't have to, it won't take long," Mark assured. Watching Mark and Sean work together in the kitchen was like watching a pair of dancers; they worked well together, moving around each other with practiced ease and fluidity. Mark and Arin mostly made small talk about their lives up to this point, Jack focusing on cooking and Dan happy to stay silent and watch, listening to the chatter between sips of tea. 

When dinner was ready and the table was set and they'd all retaken their seats, Arin finally had the confidence to ask, "How often do you summon Jack, then? You guys seem close."

Mark and Jack paused, glancing to each other. Mark said, "Uh...y'know, a couple times a week. He makes for good company," casually.

Jack nodded, "Yeah, I don't usually get along very well with my summoners. I guess a lot of 'em find me to be a bit of a handful."

Mark chuckled, "Their loss," making Jack roll his eyes.

Arin said, "But, like...don't demons stick around until you dismiss them?"

"Well yeah, they need time to go home and recharge," Mark said. "Some just need less recuperation time than others."

"How long do you like between summonings?" Arin turned to Dan, who startled.

"Oh, I mean...no one's ever really bothered to ask," Dan admitted. "Uh, like...a day or two, would be nice."

"Aw," Arin pouted.

"What?" Dan raised a brow.

"I mean, for the time being I was kinda hoping for every day, but I don't want to wear you out."

"I mean--for now, that's fine. I appreciate you asking," Dan said, touched that he actually seemed to care about Dan's own opinion.

"Well sure, man. Don't want you hating me for being clingy or some shit."

Mark smirked, wiggling a brow at Jack, making the latter look away with a blush. 

They ate in relative silence, the glazed fish and fried potatoes turning out to be a very satisfying meal, as Arin had predicted. Over the course of the meal, Jack was seeming to warm up to them, gaining a generally happier demeanor as the group talked.

After they'd finished eating, Arin and Dan insisted they help clean up, tidying the kitchen as best they could. They were about to say their goodbyes before there was a knock at the door. Mark raised a brow, mumbling, "Wonder who that could be?" and walking to answer it, Jack torn between following him and staying with the guests.

Mark opened the door to an older looking gentleman, his short hair a peppery gray, a gentle grin on his face. "Evening," the man said, giving off an unsettling vibe as he flashed his teeth.

"Evening," Mark returned the greeting. "Can I help you?" he asked, keeping a hand on the door.

The man chuckled airily, "Oh, you can't," before he held up a hand, a sudden pulse of magic knocking Mark back into the wall. The sudden thud caught the attention of Arin, Dan, and not least of all, Jack.

In record speed, Jack was shoving past them to the front door, calling, "Mark?" in concern, his eyes returning to their demonic, purple state, Arin frowning as Dan casually stepped in front of him.

"Dude, the hell-?" Mark mumbled, rubbing his head from the collision with the wall, starting to stand from where he'd slumped down.

The visitor stepped inside, his eyes turning golden as his body changed, looking like misty shadows, two golden dragons and an odd symbol between them on his chest. "My name is Brian," the man said, "and I'm here for those two," he gestured to Jack and Dan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ooohhh shit suddenly intense cliffhangers  
> (i'm sorry i'm kind of notorious for those)


	4. The Deal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well now i'm gonna have plenty of time to write--I fractured my toe :/ anyway i can't keep a good audience waiting so here's an update!

Jack's skin was turning green, two spiraled horns growing off his head as he helped Mark stand, growling and baring fangs at Brian. Arin asked, "What do you mean you're here for them?" from behind Dan, who was starting to turn a light sky blue.

Brian nonchalantly studied his nails, "I wouldn't expect summoners like yourselves to understand. I'm not here to kill anyone, but I will fight if it comes to that."

"It won't, because you're gonna show yerself back out the fuckin' door right now before I rip your bloody head off," Jack snarled, growing claws and an extra pair of arms.

Brian made a 'tsk tsk' sound, "Not even willing to listen to my offer? Bit rude, don't you think?"

Dan asked, "What class are you?" hesitantly.

"Class five, my boy," Brian grinned. "That said, it'd be wise to listen to what I have to say before I lose my temper."

Mark set a hand on Jack's shoulder, stopping him from lunging at the stronger demon. He said, "Sean, I'm fine. Let's just hear what he has to say."

"Finally, someone with etiquette. I almost regret sending you flying into a wall," Brian said. Arin couldn't help but wonder at the simplicity of all these demons' names, in spite of the situation that was demanding more attention.

"So get on with it," Arin said, "what do you want?"

"I'll try to be brief. I represent a host of demons who are...shall we say, rallying against summoners. We're entering an age where demonkind shouldn't have to be tied down by the likes of...you," he glanced to Mark and Arin. 

Jack snorted, "You do remember what happened last time a demon tried to revolt against summoners?" Arin frowned, as he hadn't heard about any sort of revolution.

"Oh, I'm well aware," Brian nodded, "but it wasn't well organized. This time, we're taking more precautions. Imagine it, a world where demons don't have to be interrupted every day by summoners calling for us to do their bidding. A world where we can walk the streets freely--where we're in charge."

Jack frowned, as did Dan. Jack said, "But...some summoners aren't all bad."

"You poor creature," Brian shook his head, "actually making an attachment to your summoner. Don't you know that's the most common tactic they use? They pretend they genuinely care to gain your trust."

"You must've had pretty shit experiences with summoners, then," Jack narrowed his eyes, of which there were now three, a third eye opening on his forehead. "And I've had about enough of your bullshit."

Brian sighed, unfazed, "Well, I know a lost cause when I see one. We'll reserve a spot for you when you realize you're nothing but a pawn to him," he nodded toward Mark, making Mark frown. Brian then turned to Dan, "And what of you? I hope you're not as far gone as...Sean, was it?"

Jack flipped Brian off, Dan shifting uncomfortably. A pair of ram horns had slowly emerged from his mass of hair, and his blue skin practically sparkled. Dan said, "I..." turning to look at Arin, who took a step back. Dan's eyes were pitch black. "I don't know. Arin and I only just met, but he seems nice."

While Arin was relieved to hear that, Brian said, "Oh, please. As if he really cares. How many demons has he summoned before you?"

"None," Dan replied.

Brian nodded, "Novice conjurers are always the worst. After their curiosity is satiated, they realize they're in full control. They learn that with a snap of their fingers they can punish you for one wrong move. How long do you think it'll be before he starts forcing you into doing the work he's 'too good' for?"

Arin said, "I wasn't going to use him," defensively. "At the least I wasn't going to force him into anything."

Brian chuckled darkly, "Don't waste your breath. And you," he locked eyes with Dan, "don't waste your time. Come with me. What has he done for you so far, anyway?"

Dan frowned, looking back to Arin again, who was looking genuinely concerned, his eyes silently pleading. Dan looked to the ground and back to Brian, saying, "I think I'll take my chances."

Brian raised a brow, raising his hands. "Fine, then. Don't say I didn't warn you. But when your summoners turn on you, feel free to give me a call. I'll be anxiously awaiting to recruit you."

"Yeah, yeah, now feel free to fuck off," Jack snapped. "Have fun gettin' shut down by wizards."

"We'll see," Brian said simply, fading away, his golden eyes lingering for a split moment longer before disappearing as well. Collectively, the group released a pent up breath of relief that he was gone.

"'Bout fuckin' time," Jack grumbled, not losing his demon attributes. His expression softened as he turned to Mark, asking, "Are you okay?"

"Hey, I already said I'm fine," Mark replied calmly, briefly cupping Jack's jaw before dropping his hand again. 

"And just who the fuck did that guy think he is?" Jack said, back to being irritated. "I dare him to come back 'ere and try to tell me all summoners are scumbags again."

"I don't," Dan mumbled, his skin starting to return to a normal hue.

Arin said, "You really trust me that much?"

"I know a good guy when I meet him," Dan nodded, turning to face him. "And it's bound to be better than joining an army doomed to fail."

"About that...?" Arin started to ask.

Mark prompted, "Let's sit down for this. I can get more tea for everyone, and some ice," he added quietly to himself, making Jack's face scrunch up in worry. "I'm fine," Mark assured, patting Jack's shoulder before going to make another pot of tea, grabbing a bag of ice for his head.

When they were all settled, Arin said, "So, this rebellion."

Mark nodded, "It was a couple years ago. A class four demon got fed up with her way of life and rallied other demons to her cause--to try to capture or kill as many summoners as they could in the attempt to make humanity forget the practice of summoning, thereby freeing the species to do as they please."

"Only a class four?" Arin asked.

"She was a fiery one," Mark said with an air of respect. 

Jack nodded, "Aye. Her name was Holly."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i didn't plan for this but someone had to be the villain so


	5. Old Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i smell a new character coming on!! (maybe more than one or two if you're lucky whaaaat)

"Brian, Holly, what is up with all these generic ass demon names?" Arin asked, finally not able to contain the question.

Mark chuckled, "It's not like they're all from some other plane of existence. Okay, well, a little, but that's not the point."

Jack said, "Our homeland is a lot like yours, if a bit more decrepit. Demons dunno how to take care of the damn place."

"And...your home world isn't hell?" Arin asked.

Jack snorted, "I mean, technically speakin', to you it probably would be hellish."

Dan said, "We exist on a plane of reality very close to yours. Our home world interlays directly over your Earth, and some humankind learned the craft necessary to pull demons from our plane to yours."

"Oh, cool," Arin grinned.

"Most demonkind don't think so," Jack frowned. "Holly was one of 'em. She got fed up with so many of her summoners treatin' her poorly, thinkin' they were better than she was just because they had the ability to call her at whim and force her to answer. She used to be a sort've...equal rights activist, until a couple of her more fiercely loyal supporters went too far."

"What do you mean?" Arin said, the grin being replaced with a frown.

Dan said, "Well...she didn't condone the killing of humans. All she wanted was for humans to understand that demons have feelings, too. We think on the same level of intelligence, and we don't deserve to be treated like slaves. But some of her stronger, angrier troops started getting into fights that ended in bloodshed."

Jack nodded solemnly, "And eventually, she just took responsibility for it. Her supporters were paintin' her in a bad light, and she knew she'd never be able to convince humans that she wasn't out for all their blood. So she adapted that role...'til she met Ross," he smirked.

"Who's Ross?" Arin asked, all but forgetting his tea.

"Holly's new summoner. No one has seen a demon and a summoner fall for each other faster," Dan chuckled. "Ross was the only one brave enough, or maybe stupid enough, to conjure her. Way I heard it, they meant to kill each other on the spot, but Ross felt too bad about killing her while she was stuck in a pentagram, and after letting her out for a fair fight, she realized he couldn't be all bad."

Arin said, "So, what, they eloped?"

"Basically," Dan shrugged. "To my knowledge, their relationship hasn't escalated to marriage, but I haven't heard anything from Ross in a long time."

"Did you know Ross?"

"Oh, yeah, he's an old summoner of mine. But ever since meeting Holly, I don't think he's summoned any other demon."

Arin rubbed a hand through his hair, "This is a lot to take in."

Mark said, "You guys can feel free to drop in, tomorrow. Or if you like, you can stay here the night, in case Brian comes back."

Dan frowned, "You think he'd be that determined to recruit us?"

Jack said, "Well, you know how class fives can be. I wouldn't put it past him to kill..." he stopped, frowning and looking to the ground.

Mark set a hand on Jack's back, "He's not gonna kill us, we're not helpless."

"Yeah, we have two demons on our side," Arin said with a proud grin. "That's like...twice as many as him alone."

Dan snorted, Jack staring at Arin like he was an idiot, though he shortly started laughing. "I suppose that's true."

Arin snapped, "Oh, actually, if you don't mind, I want to get some supplies from a friend of mine. I mean, if you really think we have strength in numbers, I'll need to learn some defensive techniques, but I need to stock up on some stuff."

Mark nodded, "Sure, sure. The door will be open for you."

Dan asked, "Will you two be okay alone?"

"Of course," Mark smiled confidently.

Jack said, "If that bastard shows his face here again, I'm shovin' a bottle of fuck-you up his ass."

"Right then," Arin said, "it shouldn't be more than an hour."

"We'll come looking if it's overtime," Mark warned.

"Thanks," Arin said, standing with Dan, "and thanks for dinner."

"Anytime, man, you know that," Mark grinned, waving them out as they exited his house.

Dan looked up and down the street, saying, "We really ought to make this quick."

"I know, dude, trust me. We'll be like lightning," Arin said, leading Dan down the street and further into town. Orbs of floating light were casting a pleasant glow on the cobblestone street, not highlighting any unsavory figures. As Arin had said, his friend's house was only a couple blocks away, pausing in front of a sign that read, "Jon's Emporium."

"Your friend owns a magic shop?" Dan inquired, studying it curiously.

"Yeah, but it's mostly gag stuff. He's got legit stuff, too, if you know him well," Arin grinned, Dan not able to help grinning back, thinking about how Arin's smile was contagious. Arin lead the way inside, a bell signifying the door opening, a parrot squawking and whistling from somewhere inside.

"Hold on, gimme a minute," a somewhat high pitched yet rough tone snapped. Dan looked around at the messy atmosphere of the room before a slightly rotund man with a thick black beard and a matching set of hair rose from behind the counter. "Aaaarin!" the man who was presumably Jon grinned. "What can I do ya for?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> god im sorry for such short ass chapters i meant to make this longer but i ran out of time to finish it, i promise ill try to make the next one longer


	6. Hunted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well shit with a title like that this can't be good

"Hey, Jon," Arin grinned, walking up to the man.

Jon stepped out from behind the counter, wrapping Arin in a bear-hug, picking him up while making a satisfied, "Mmm mmm! It's good to see you. You must not get out much anymore."

"I've been busy," Arin said tightly, as most of his airway was being constricted in Jon's grip. Jon seemed to realize this and set him down, Arin panting, "Thank you."

"Sorry, it's just I get so excited when you pop in! You're one'a the only people that does," Jon ended with a mumble. "So who's your friend?"

Dan had been standing quietly, eyeing up the way Jon was treating Arin with a ghost of a frown. "Dan, or Danny. Whichever," he said, not sure if Jon would be friendly toward a demon.

Arin said, "Danny boy here is my first official summon," proudly. 

Dan blushed a bit at the nickname, Jon saying, "OooOOoohh!" and clapping. "Let's take a look at you!"

"...Sorry?" Dan asked, confused.

"Well ain't no demon ever look that normal," Jon said, waving a hand. "Come on, let's see whatcha got. I won't judge."

Dan shifted and glanced to Arin, who nodded with an encouraging smile. With the prompt, Dan started to change, his skin returning to the light blue tone with navy speckles. The two ram horns curled out of his hair, and his eyes turned black, teeth growing sharp as a tail grew out behind him. Then, as Arin had yet to see, Dan's form kept shifting until he had four slender arms, spines down his back, and eyes that duplicated into four pitch black ellipses. 

Arin absorbed the new changes as Jon squealed, "That's so _cool_!"

"Thanks," Dan said, disappointed, as he was kind of hoping it would be intimidating to the shop keeper. He crossed his four arms, the eyes melding back together until there were only two of them once more, though they stayed black. 

Jon walked up to him, "I've never seen a class three quite like you."

Dan raised a brow, "How'd you know I was a class three?"

Jon shrugged, "Eh, call me a nerd. I know my demonkind, right down to being able to pick out a demon in a crowd of all human looking people."

"Oh," Dan said, trying to hide how impressed he was, assuming Jon actually could tell a demon apart from a human.

"So, you never answered my question," Jon said, turning to Arin and throwing an arm over his shoulder, making Dan scowl minutely.

"I'm here for a couple summoning supplies," Arin replied, not minding at all how much Jon was invading his personal space.

"Course you are!" Jon said, slapping his back, Arin being knocked forward a bit from the force of the blow. Jon continued anyway, "You know my shop well enough, help yourself to-" he stopped when a small green parrot landed on his shoulder, biting at his earlobe. "Ech!" Jon said, picking up the bird in his hand as though this were a completely normal occurrence. He held the bird in front of his face, reprimanding softly, "Now Jacques, we been through this. You already had your dinner today. There's still seeds left in your bowl you fuckin' blind sonbitch." Jacques whistled again, nibbling at Jon's thumb, Jon sighing and opening his hand, the bird fluttering away. "He never learns," he shook his head, watching Jacques fly back to his perch. 

"He's kinda cute, though," Dan said.

"That's how he gets ya," Jon said, waggling a finger. "See this?" he pointed to a scar on his lip.

"Yeah?"

"That little fucker bit me!" Jon dramatically pointed a finger in the air. "I didn't do anything to deserve it!"

Arin laughed, "I guess he got fed up with your bullshit," as he scanned through the shelves of what all looked like worthless junk, piled in disorganized heaps.

Jon whined, "It hurt! He's never bit me that hard before. I was bleeding," he added in a serious tone.

Dan smirked, thinking about his fight with a demon that left him with an eyebrow scar versus Jon taking on a parrot and losing. This image cheered him up; he walked over to Arin silently, trying not to look amused. Dan asked, "So what are you looking for? Can I help?"

"Oh, uh, sure," Arin responded. "I need a new note pad, some salt, and a book about...nevermind," he said. "Can you find some chalk, too?"

Dan narrowed his eyes, wondering what book Arin was looking for but brushing it off, saying, "Sure."

"Good luck, I haven't cleaned the place in weeks," Jon said, walking back to sit behind the cashier's desk.

"No shit," Arin said, "it's a sty in here. I can't imagine what your room looks like."

"Yes you can, you piece of shit, you've been in it."

Dan narrowed his eyes, wondering when Arin would have been in Jon's room and for what purpose, his stomach twisting at the thought he immediately blocked from his mind. He set a hand over his stomach as he continued rifling through some piles of what looked like art supplies in search of chalk, Arin making his way to a bookcase. 

After about twenty minutes of searching, Arin and Dan finally managed to gather up everything Arin had been needing to get. Arin paid for everything as Dan pet Jacques' head, Jon complaining the whole time about how the parrot 'lets a demon pet him, sure, but his own fuckin' owner that's had him for years, forget that shit.'

"Anything else I can do for you?" Jon asked once everything was packed up.

"Nope, that'll do," Arin said contently, "thanks, man."

"Sure, come again soon. I gotta pay the bills sometime, y'know," he grinned.

Arin snorted, "Good luck with that. C'mon, Dan."

"Coming," Dan said, back in his human form, rubbing Jacques' head a final time with his finger before jogging to the door, leaving with Arin.

Arin asked, "What'd you think of Jon?"

Dan bit back what he wanted to say, instead settling with, "I'd say you have a weird array of friends."

"And you just make it weirder, congrats," Arin smiled, patting Dan's back.

Dan blushed a light shade of pink, silently wishing Arin would continue, but he didn't. Dan said, "Well you're welcome, then," with sarcastic pride.

Arin snorted at the tone, "Whatever. Glad to have you in the club."

"Glad to be part of it, I think," Dan responded, as he had only known Arin for the better part of a day.

As they walked down the street, which was slowly darkening as the sun set further beyond the horizon, Arin started getting chills. He looked around, mumbling, "Hey, you don't uh, feel anything off, do you?"

Dan said, "No, not really," growing concerned by Arin's tone. "Why?"

"Probably nothing," Arin replied, trying to sound confident.

Dan frowned, "You think Brian might be back?"

"I dunno, man, I'm not a professional," Arin hissed, growing antsy, eyes flicking around.

"Then let's just hurry," Dan suggested, "the sooner we're back with Mark and Jack, the better, right?"

"Yeah, sure," Arin nodded, freezing when a voice behind them said, "You'll only be upset when you get there."

They spun around, Brian chuckling darkly, his silhouette blending in to the shadows of the street until he was gone. The only thing that remained were the two golden dragons that had been on his torso when they first met him, which began to grow and move until two large dog-sized dragons stood in front of them. One of them growled, the other roaring before charging around them, passing them by. Dan turned in preparation of it to jump at them from behind, but the dragon kept running, the other following suit and passing them, the pair running down the road.

Dan and Arin stayed frozen a moment more before Arin shouted, "Mark!" and started sprinting off, Dan cursing and taking off after him, changing to his demon form as they went.


	7. True Power

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow so much for updating more often I'm sorry DX but as y'all know, shit happens. anyway here's a new chapter in apology, hope you enjoy!

Dan almost slammed into Arin from behind when Arin abruptly stopped in front of Mark's house. The door was slightly ajar, and one of the windows was broken. "Oh shit," Arin said tightly, steeling himself and moving his hand to open the door.

Dan put a hand on Arin's shoulder, "Arin, man, I admire your bravery, but let me go in first."

"I guess-" he stopped when there was a resounding crash from inside the house. Before Arin could react, Dan shoved past him, switching to his demon form, his four eyes narrowed as he made sure Arin didn't get in front of him.

Dan moved slowly, hearing Jack shout from the floor above, "Get back ya shady bastards! I'm warnin' ya! I got an iron brand and I'll fackin' use it!"

Dan frowned, wondering what a brand was doing in Mark's house, as iron burned demons, and Mark didn't seem the type to use it against Jack. He supposed he had it just for these occasions. Dan hurried towards the sound of Jack's voice, Arin close behind. Dan took the stairs two at a time, stopping at the top, as the top of the stairs faced into presumably Mark's room, where Jack was standing against the far wall, one of the two dragons blocking his exit. Jack glanced past the dragon to Dan, saying, "Don't worry about me, damn it! Go get Mark!"

"Where is he?" Dan asked, the dragon growling and trying to bite at Jack, who swung the iron bar into its nose. The bar had a wooden handle, keeping it away from Jack's skin, though the dragon wasn't so lucky. It whined, shaking its head as a searing red mark faded from its muzzle.

Jack said, "He lead one of these fuckin' things outside, to the backyard," quickly, making a jabbing motion at the dragon, but the beast dodged and jumped at him from an angle. Jack dropped the bar, having to move his hands to stop the dragon from being able to bite him. As the dragon's jaws snapped at Jack's face, Dan held his two pairs of hands together, his fingers intertwined in a specific pattern. As his hands moved apart, some sort of thin weapons grew out of nowhere between them. Dan grabbed the handles when they materialized, now holding four whips. 

He snapped one against the dragon's back to get its attention, using another to wrap around one its back legs. Dan pulled, the dragon losing its balance and falling away from Jack, turning on Dan. Dan's third whip snapped to the dragon's left, his first cracking in the air to the dragon's right, confusing the animal before a third whip coiled around its neck. It roared and reared back, trying to tear free, but Jack ran a blade through its stomach from behind. The dragon screeched and turned into golden wisps, floating away down the stairs. 

"Are you okay?" Dan said.

"You idiots, I said to leave me!" Jack snapped, then he tilted his head. "Where's Arin?" It had taken both demons until now to realize that Arin had long since left.

Arin had bolted back down the stairs when Jack had said where the second dragon was, though he frankly had no idea what he was going to do to help. He sprinted out the back door, having to stop and duck when a chair went sailing over his head. He heard Mark say, "Oops, sorry Arin!" before there was a roar and another crash, Arin finally getting his bearings. Mark was standing in a glowing circle, a few random objects, mostly comprised of outdoor furniture, floating around him. The dragon didn't seem to be able to penetrate the circle, making laps around it and dodging the random objects that Mark shot at it. 

When the dragon realized there was an unprotected wizard in the vicinity, it changed targets, locking eyes on Arin. "Uh," Arin had time to say before the dragon ran for him. Arin reacted on instinct, swiping a hand aside, knocking the dragon over. "Huh, woah," Arin said, not knowing what had just happened, but the reverie didn't last long before the dragon was standing back up, lunging for Arin again. It's teeth clamped around the arm Arin had been holding out, staring at in wonder. "Agh, shit!" Arin yelled, Mark hitting the dragon with a log. The dragon relinquished its hold on Arin to turn and snarl at Mark, giving Arin time to dig into his pocket. He pulled out a handful of salt, most wizards being sure to carry some, throwing it at the dragon. 

The salt made a hissing sound as it made contact with the dragon's scales, the beast roaring and backing away, running toward the fence. Mark threw a brick at it for good measure, hitting it in the back as it clambered up and over the fence. "Good riddance!" Mark shouted after it, holding his side. 

Arin hissed in a breath of air, his arm in a lot of pain, walking over to Mark. "You okay, man?" he asked just as Dan and Jack appeared by the door, both looking ready for a fight.

"Yeah, how 'bout you?" Mark said with concern. "That looks like a nasty bite."

"Bite?" Dan asked, following Jack outside, Jack practically jumping into Mark's arms.

Arin said, "Don't worry, it's..." he hissed in another breath as he tried to dab at it, "not a big deal."

Dan frowned, "No, it does look serious," as he approached to study it.

Mark said, "Relax, Jackieboy, I'm fine," with a grin, ruffling Jack's hair.

Jack halfheartedly punched Mark's shoulder, "No you ain't, Markimoo. You need to get that scratch looked at proper."

Arin mouthed, "Markimoo?" incredulously, wondering why he'd never thought of the name as Dan ripped off a piece of his shirt, gingerly wrapping it around Arin's arm to staunch the blood.

Mark sighed, "I'll clean it up when we get inside. But what were those things?"

"Brian sent them," Dan frowned. "We saw him briefly when we were walking back, but we didn't have time to warn you."

"It's okay, we could've been caught more ill prepared," Mark shrugged, wincing when it tugged at the muscle that had been cut on his side.

Jack looked like he was panicking, wanting to hold the wound but not wanting to risk hurting Mark further. "Mmmm," he simply hummed instead, holding a fist in front of his mouth.

"Relax, Sean, deep breaths," Mark said soothingly, "it could've been worse."

"I know," Jack pouted, "I'm just glad you're alright."

"You, too," Mark grinned, not remembering to be subtle in the heat of the moment and giving Jack a brief kiss. Jack's expression went from momentary bliss to the stark realization they were being watched, Jack yelping and pulling back from Mark, who started blushing.

Dan and Arin's brows were both raised, Arin's mouth slightly open, as he'd been oblivious up until now about their relationship.

"Uh..." Mark glanced to Jack to make sure the demon was still breathing. "We...have some explaining to do?"

"No, I mean, fuck man, you do you," Arin said. "Let's tend to our wounds first."

"Good...good idea," Mark nodded awkwardly, Jack hiding his face in his hands, the blush peeking around his hands an amazing contrast to his hair. Dan simply nodded slowly, already having expected that, leading the way inside.

~~~

They got Arin's arm a clean gauze padding, Jack helping Mark take care of bandaging his side. When they were all back together in the living room, Jack and Dan returned to their human guises. Mark opened his mouth to speak, but Arin said, "Yes, Markimoo?" quickly with a smug expression.

Jack said, "Oi, only I'm allowed to call him that."

"Free country," Arin retorted.

Mark sighed, "It's okay, Sean, it's way too late for me." Dan mumbled something about 'incredible pet naming skills' before Mark continued, "So, uh, as you may have noticed, Sean and I...have a pretty intimate bond for a demon and his wizard."

Arin coughed something that sounded suspiciously like 'gay'. Dan gave him a sideways glance, Arin saying, "Well, why'd you hide it? Did you think we'd have a problem with it?"

"It's just not a very normal thing," Mark said. 

"So? A lot of fucking people like fuckin' things that aren't entirely normal."

"Woah, who said anythin' about-" Jack said, shutting up and blushing.

"Well, you did, just now," Arin smirked, "but really, it's cool, man. As long as you're happy, right?"

Mark looked relieved, Jack still looking embarrassed. Mark said, "Thanks, it means a lot."

Dan said, "Well sure, dude. It's not totally unheard of. I mean, Holly and Ross, after all."

"True," Mark mused, "but still, it's not really something we like making public business."

"Fair enough," Arin said. "But now the question is what are we gonna do about Brian?"

"What can we do?" Jack asked. "He has fuckin' dragon dog things he can just summon up at will, apparently. And that's probably not even the worst thing he can do, for a tier five."

"No one really knows the extent of a tier five's true power," Dan elaborated. "They don't make themselves very well known to start with, so for one to show up out of the blue so suddenly with a driven goal is kinda terrifying."

"Well it ain't like we can't take him, we're two wizards and two class threes," Jack said. "I can't wait to beat his arse..."

"Hey, no ass beating without me," Mark grinned, setting a hand on Jack's knee. "How was your trip, by the way? Did you at least get everything you need?"

"Oh, yeah, but I kinda dropped it all in the street when Brian showed up."

Dan said, "I can go get it. It'd be faster and safer."

Arin frowned, "You sure?"

"Yeah, I think we might've pissed Brian off, but at least we scared his dogs a bit. I doubt they'll be able to heal up very fast; we should have a little time."

Arin nodded, "Alright, then. If you say so."

Mark said, "Just be careful, and if you see anything suspicious, come right back. You're both staying here tonight," he added firmly.

"Yes sir," Arin saluted as Dan stood.

"Be right back," Dan said, trying to look more confident than he felt, looking around outside before fully stepping out the door, running back up the street. He wasn't lying when he said he'd be faster, as a demon's full sprint almost doubled that of a human's. He slowed down to pick up the items that had been scattered around the cobblestones.

Dan paused when he noticed the book Arin had said he'd been looking for and neglected to tell Dan what it was. Dan glanced around to make sure no one was nearby before looking back at the book, picking it up and turning it over so the cover was facing up. 

He frowned, his heart feeling like it had dropped. The title of the book was, "Controlling Your Demons."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [le gasp] arin how could you?  
> also dan using whips is kinda sexy, no? ;3 (no i don't have a whip kink whips are just badass)


	8. Bonding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> quick poll: i want to know if anyone would be interested in me writing a separate demon AU fic for the grumps that's more focused on fluff than plot. that's what this was originally supposed to be, but i got carried away and honestly have no idea where the plot came from, oops. not to say that this fic won't have it's fair share of fluff, it says so in the tags for a reason, but I'm just curious. any and all comments and constructive criticisms are welcome, i love hearing from you all!

Dan trudged back through the door slowly, the book tucked back inside the bag Jon had provided them with. They all looked relieved it was Dan opening the door and that he seemed to be in good health. Arin looked particularly relieved, asking, "Get everything?"

"Hm? Yeah," Dan said, his mind somewhat preoccupied, setting the bag of supplies next to Arin but opting not to sit on the same couch, instead sitting in the air, levitating a few feet away from him.

Arin tilted his head at Dan's actions but didn't want to question it in front of Mark and Jack. "Cool, thanks, I owe you one."

"It's no big deal," Dan shrugged. "You needed that stuff."

"It'll be good for practicing my skills," Arin grinned.

"Yeah, it probably will," Dan was looking down at his hands, twiddling his thumbs.

Mark had also taken note of Dan's soured mood, saying, "Uh, hey, Sean, I just remembered something we could set up for some extra defense tonight. Can you help me out?"

"Sure, Mark," Jack said, glancing to Dan but following Mark upstairs silently.

Arin was glad they'd given them some alone time, but Dan seemed less sure about the privacy. Dan shifted nervously, Arin asking, "Okay, what's up?"

Dan frowned, looking to him and saying, "Nothing."

"Come on. I know we haven't known each other very long, but if something's bugging you, I want to know. I want to see if I can help."

"Do you?" Dan asked bitterly.

Arin leaned back a fraction at the sharp edge in Dan's usually soft tone. "Of...of course. What's wrong?"

Dan chuckled coldly, "Oh, you know. Just thinking for once I might like a summoner before finding out that Brian might have been on to something."

Arin blinked, his expression contorting to one of confusion. "Wait, Brian? What?"

"The book, Arin," Dan snapped, ceasing to levitate to stand on the ground, Arin finding himself glued to the seat in sudden fear. "Really? 'Controlling Your Demons'," he barked a short laugh. "To think I thought you actually planned on treating me like an equal. Like how Mark treats Jack."

Arin said, "Wh--Dan, holy shit, no, that's not-"

"Oh, it's not, is it?" Dan scowled. "Please explain what it's for then."

"It's not to use on you, it's for self defense!"

Dan paused, realizing he had been starting to turn blue. "What do you mean?"

Arin said, "Well, when Brian said that thing about using spells to control you, I just...I figured it'd be good to know for hostile demons, not you. I don't know if it'd work the same on demons I hadn't summoned, I kinda figured it would. But for fuck's sake, you really thought I was going to go full slave driver mode that soon?"

Dan frowned, "I...I don't know. I still barely know you. I guess..." he glanced to the bag of supplies and back to Arin, "I guess I jumped to conclusions. I want to trust you, it's just hard to trust a lot of wizards."

Arin's back straightened, "Okay, then let's learn about each other."

Dan looked confused, "What?"

"You said you barely know me. Let's get to know each other. Y'know, trust building and shit."

Dan snorted softly, his usual positive demeanor slowly returning, "Yeah, and shit."

Arin scooted back, patting the couch. Dan sighed but took the seat next to him, Arin beaming, "See? Off to a great start."

"You consider sitting down a good trust building exercise?"

"I mean, we're within like, three feet of each other. That's nearly fucking distance."

Dan blushed lightly, trying to brush it off with a chuckle, "Nearly."

Arin sat cross-legged, turning to face Dan fully. "Okay, so, uh...I dunno wanna exchange life stories? Dick comparisons?"

Dan asked, "Are...those normally topics to cover for trust building for humans?"

"I mean, I don't fucking know, I'm just throwing ideas around."

"Well," Dan shifted, "how about something easier, like...what's your favorite food?"

"Mm, good question. I do eat a lot," Arin rubbed the stubble on his chin. "Lately I've had a thing for scrambled eggs. I make some bitchin' scrambled eggs, dude. I'll have to make you some, sometime."

"Sure, I guess."

"Uh...do you listen to music?"

Dan seemed to brighten up at that, "Yeah, I do, actually. It's mostly older stuff, but I can get down to a good rock song."

"That's awesome," Arin smiled. "I can see you being a music lover."

"Yeah, well," Dan rubbed his neck, "I do sing, sometimes."

"What? No way, let's hear it."

"Wha? God no, I don't even know what I'd sing."

"Just pick one of your favorites. Please? I have to know."

"Know what?"

"What your singing voice sounds like," Arin said, his hopeful eyes looking to Dan like the eyes of a puppy begging for a treat. "I promise I won't laugh even if it sucks balls."

Dan snorted, "I should hope it doesn't, but...alright. Um..." he went silent in thought, trying to think of a song he knew well enough for first impressions. When he'd selected his choice, he started bobbing his head to the beat, humming a few of the first notes before beginning to sing: " _Welcome to your life, there's no turning back. Even while we sleep, we will find you acting on your best behavior. Turn your back on mother nature. Everybody wants to rule the world_."

After a moment, Arin said, "Woah, that...didn't suck balls at all."

"You think?"

"Yeah, that was like...crazy good," Arin continued, clearly impressed.

"Oh. Thanks," Dan said, not able to hide his blush, turning his face away from Arin anyway.

"Are you part Siren or something?"

Dan chuckled, "I dunno, never thought about it."

"Well, your angelic voice aside, next question. Do you have any siblings?"

"Yeah, actually, a sister," Dan replied. "You?"

"A brother--he's a jerkoff, but he's a pretty cool guy."

Dan folded his hands to make an arch in front of his mouth in thought before asking, "If you could have the powers of a demon, would you?"

"Oh, fuck yeah, it looks awesome. Having four arms and claws and shit--that's rad."

"They do come in handy, yeah," Dan said, vaguely noting he had moved closer to Arin.

Arin hadn't noticed the shift in position, asking, "If you could be a human, would you?"

"Uh...do I get to be a wizard?"

"Sure."

"Then I guess it wouldn't be all bad. Not having magical abilities would kinda suck, though," he mused, finding himself watching Arin's face, drinking in his expressions.

"Yeah, which is why I'm glad I joined the trade," Arin grinned, finally taking note that Dan was closer than they'd started. 

A tingle went up his spine, keeping his eyes on Dan as the demon asked, "What are you grateful for?"

"Uh...besides my great peen?" Arin replied cheekily. At Dan's look, Arin mumbled, "I...don't know," distracted by suddenly being close enough to feel Dan's breaths. "That...you weren't an asshole demon that tried to kill me, when we first met."

"And I'm glad you weren't an asshole summoner who just wanted a pet to boss around," Dan replied softly, hesitating before slowly leaning back. Arin hadn't realized his breath had hitched, releasing a pent up breath, relaxing while also feeling a bit disappointed.

Arin said, "Well, yeah, that would've been pretty assholey."

"Yeah, it would've," Dan replied, not meeting Arin's gaze anymore. "We should, ah, see where we'll be sleeping."

"...Right," Arin mumbled, standing up, offering Dan a hand. Dan took it, though he didn't need it, surprised when Arin pulled him into a hug. He tensed but shortly relaxed into it, hesitantly wrapping his arms around Arin as Arin said, "I'll never just use you. I want you to know that--it's a promise."

Dan didn't respond for a moment before saying, "Okay," and tightening his grip. "I appreciate that."

"Course," Arin grinned, rubbing Dan's back before letting him go. "Let's find Mark." Dan nodded, and together they walked off towards the stairs in silence.

~~~

Mark was slapping Jack's shoulder as quietly as he could in his excitement from around the corner, watching Dan lean ever closer to Arin. Jack was grinning as well, trying to keep Mark from having a heart attack. When the two split without any contact occurring, both Mark and Jack groaned quietly in exasperation, panicking and rushing back up the stairs as fast as they could when Dan suggested finding Mark to ask about sleeping arrangements.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> speaking of fluff we were due for some, i hope i didn't give anyone heart failure >_> (like poor mark ;3 ) and for the record yeah i know i overuse the songs from the under the cover album but they're so good and convenient for imagination's sake.  
> for copyrights sake the lyrics are from "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" originally by Tears for Fears


	9. Nothing Like You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if anyone listens to country, the title of this chapter did in fact come from that song, and for the record I'm not an avid fan of country but there are a couple songs I enjoy, and this is one of them that has less of a country vibe to it if anyone's interested in going to listen to it. It's "Nothin' Like You" by Dan + Shay, not our dan unfortunately but a good singer nonetheless. some of this chapter's inspiration was from this song so I thought I'd give it a shout out X3 enjoy!

A week had passed since they'd seen any sign of Brian. Arin insisted after three days of no sightings of the tier five demon that Dan go home for a couple days. Dan tried to convince him it was fine if he stayed, but Arin persisted, saying they'd summon him back as soon as anything went wrong. Mark tried to send Jack home as well, though the Irish demon was much more adamant about staying, and Mark didn't have the heart to make him leave.

During Dan's absence, Arin had read up on using defensive magic, his arm and Mark's side both healing well with a little help from a first-aid spell Mark knew. Arin had practiced against Jack, who progressively used harder techniques against Arin as he developed better skill. 

By the seventh morning, it was becoming painfully apparent to Mark and Jack that Arin was missing Dan. Arin was picking idly at his pancake, spacing out. "Dude," Mark said as they ate, "just summon him back."

"Wha?" Arin asked, snapping out of his reverie, looking up. 

Mark smiled softly, "Come on, even if he expects there to be trouble, he'd probably rather be here before something bad has the chance to happen." They were all looking slightly disheveled, having equal amounts of scruff on their jaws from forgoing a few simple luxuries in the attempt to stay prepared, along with bags under their eyes from less sleep due to paranoia.

It didn't take a genius to know Mark meant Dan, Arin saying, "Yeah, but I want to make sure he's fully rested."

"He's probably as concerned as we are," Mark retorted, "and him being alone out there is a bit worse, don't you think?"

Arin blinked, "Well, shit, I didn't think about it that way."

"My pentagram is upstairs," Mark said, "feel free to go use it."

"Thanks, man," Arin said, standing eagerly, all but forgetting about his uneaten pancake, now soggy from the syrup. 

Mark chuckled, Jack smiling to himself as Mark said, "No problem. Go get him, tiger," with a smirk.

"Shut up," Arin grumbled, jogging up the stairs. He went into the only other room besides Mark's, correctly guessing this was the one that contained the summoning materials.

He drew up the proper symbols in case something went wrong and he managed to summon the wrong demon again, sitting in front of it and taking a deep breath before reading from Mark's summoning book. He included the rites of binding just in case, feeling bad but wanting to take every necessary precaution. When he was done reading, he looked up, waiting in anticipation. The pentagram was oddly still for a moment before it filled with smoke, contained by an invisible wall. Four electric blue eyes opened in the smoke, Dan's demon-form silhouette fading into view, fangs bared. 

Dan seemed to realize whatever scenario he'd just been in was no longer the case, taking in his new surroundings, looking surprised before his gaze fell on his summoner. "Arin!" he said, trying to step forward automatically, the smoke starting to clear out as he frowned at the barrier trapping him in the star on the floor. 

Arin grinned, "Dan," as he stood, adding, "uh, hold on," and looking back to the book, scanning through it to find the words needed to undo the binding spell. The moment he was done, Dan leaped through the barrier, practically jumping into Arin's arms, Dan's four arms wrapping him in a hug.

"Woah, dude," Arin said, rubbing his back, "I know it's been awhile, but jeesh, I didn't think you'd be so happy to see me, again."

"I was..." Dan frowned, shutting his eyes tightly, "I was worried something happened."

"We're fine, I summoned you back because...well, 'cause I was worried, too," Arin admitted. "But what was going on? Why were you all...demoned out?"

Dan finally let Arin go, studying his own form before starting to switch back into his human guise. He hesitated before replying, "Brian was just talking to me."

"Wait, what?" Arin frowned. "Shit, if I'd known he'd come after you, I'd have brought you back, sooner."

"It's okay, he didn't attack me, but he..." Dan stopped, biting his lip, looking away from Arin.

"What?" Arin asked, concern written on his face.

Dan mumbled, "He told me he killed you," as he hugged himself. Arin blinked, not knowing how to respond, particularly because Dan was reflecting how much he feared Arin's death. "He...showed me what he did, which I guess was an illusion, but it was...fuck, it was horrible," he muttered, setting a hand over one of his eyes, looking down.

Arin still didn't know what to say, so instead, he stepped forward to wrap Dan in a hug again. "I'm sorry you had to see that," he offered.

Dan sniffled, tucking his face into Arin's neck. "I'm just glad you're okay."

Arin rubbed his back, "I guess I won't be making you leave again."

"Hell no you aren't," Dan said with a sad chuckle. He took a deep breath before standing back, wiping one of his eyes. "So, um," he rubbed his neck, trying to gather himself. "You said Mark and Jack are okay, too?"

"Yeah, they're eating breakfast. Pancakes with a side of sausage, if yaknowI'msayin'," Arin smirked, elbowing Dan's side, trying to lighten the mood.

Dan snorted, "Good. That's good. What else did I miss?"

"Come on, I'll fill you in over the table," Arin winked, Dan taking a minute before getting the innuendo, not having a chance to respond before Arin was heading downstairs. He stared after him another minute before coming to his senses, coughing quietly and following.

Arin was sitting down when Dan entered the room, Mark saying, "Welcome back! Coffee?"

"Sure," Dan nodded, Mark standing to pour him some. 

Jack said, "Ya look like you were just in a bit of a tight spot," with a smirk, Dan giving him a tired look, not appreciating a second innuendo within five minutes of the first. Jack continued as Mark resisted the urge to comment, "But seriously, you alright?"

"Yeah," Dan sighed, sitting next to Arin, "fine. It's just been a long day already."

Arin took a bite of his pancake, which Mark had left out for him, saying around a mouthful, "Hofuwy ih ges be'er."

"...What?" Dan asked, having trouble deciphering what he said.

Arin swallowed before saying, "Hopefully it gets better."

"Oh, yeah, hopefully," Dan said, watching Arin wolf down his food, partially grossed out and yet finding it endearing, in an odd sort of way. He supposed it was due to just thinking his new friend was dead.

Mark set a mug of coffee in front of Dan, loaded with sugar, Dan saying, "Thanks," and trying a sip, nodding in satisfaction. 

Jack said, "Well I tell ya what, Danny, your boy has gotten real good with defense magic."

"Really?" Dan raised a brow.

"Yup, he makes for a great pupil," Jack grinned. "Quick learner, he is."

Arin made an overly dramatic bashful wave of his hand as he chewed a large mouthful of hash browns, taking a swig of his own coffee. "Gosh, I try," he said when he was able before starting on another pancake.

"Course, now that you're here," Jack continued, "he can train with you, instead. Long as you don't go easy on him."

"Oh, sure, I guess," Dan said, knowing he'd end up going easy on Arin regardless.

"Great!" Jack smiled. "You can start after breakfast."

Mark said, "Maybe Sean and I can make a date of watching you tousle."

Jack blushed lightly, "I mean, I s'pose we can. That way we're ready to help give 'em pointers."

"I'm sure they won't need it, the way Arin's caught on so fast."

As they talked, Arin found himself eating and watching Dan, who had fallen silent to his own thoughts, looking at the table and absently twirling a finger through his hair as his head rested on his hand. Arin had to admit, it was comforting knowing the demon was back in the house so they could keep an eye on one another. He looked to Mark when Mark snapped his fingers several times, saying, "Earth to Arin, anyone home in there?"

"Sorry dude, I was just...lost in this fuckin' pancake," Arin replied, trying to pretend like he hadn't been staring blatantly at Dan.

Mark clearly didn't buy it, grinning but saying, "Sure. Help me clean up this mess," and not prying into why Dan was suddenly not talkative.

"Alright," Arin stood, starting to gather dishes and leftover food along with Jack, letting Dan keep to his own thoughts.

After the table was tidied, Arin and Dan moved to the living room so they could talk a bit more before training, Mark and Jack moving upstairs to give them some privacy. Dan said, "Alright, before we get into fighting, what is up with the bags under your eyes?"

"What do you mean?" Arin asked.

"It looks like you haven't slept in days," Dan frowned. "I'm just curious."

"Well, I've slept, just not very well," Arin mumbled. "But I am totally getting enough sleep, don't worry."

"I'm kinda worrying," Dan said, watching Arin with a steady gaze.

"Then stop worrying," Arin said, lightly shoving Dan's shoulder.

"Dude, we shouldn't be sparring if you're gonna pass out from exhaustion mid fight," Dan sighed. "You need to take a nap or something."

"Uuugh," Arin groaned, "I'm not tired, though."

Dan looked skeptical, "Look, I'm here, now. If you've been taking shifts at night to keep watch for Brian, then consider me part of the routine, now, and I'm taking my turn," he said firmly. 

"Mmmfff, fine," Arin grumbled. He stretched, yawning, "But you're kind of in my spot."

"What do you mean?" Dan asked.

"I've been crashing on the couch, since Mark only owns one bed. S'pose you'll do, though." Before Dan could ask what Arin meant, Arin had draped himself over Dan's lap to get to the pillow, Dan tensing and blushing madly, hands held aloft over Arin in surprise. Arin grinned to himself smugly, not saying anything further and tucking his legs up, too long for the couch otherwise. 

Dan hardly remembered to breath, looking down at Arin and slowly lowering his hands, using one to rub Arin's side slowly in a relaxing manner, the other settling on Arin's head. The corner of Dan's mouth tugged up in a smile as he observed Arin slowly falling asleep, giggling when soft, snuffled snoring signified Arin had passed out. "Not tired, huh," Dan muttered softly, rubbing his thumb through Arin's hair, barely realizing when he himself started drifting off to sleep.

About twenty minutes into the nap, Arin groggily opened his eyes, feeling an arm tucked around him and a body behind him, slowly remembering he'd actually fallen asleep on Dan and that it hadn't just been a pleasant dream. In his sleep deprived state, he didn't have the energy to try to move, simply sinking back into the lanky demon's arms before falling back to sleep to the sound of Dan's gentle breathing in his ear.


	10. New Allies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what's this? what's this? a whiff of new people  
> sorry its been awhile since the last update, hopefully the fluffiness of the last chapter tided y'all over

Arin woke up with a yawn, stretching and instantly forgetting he was on the edge of the couch, falling off before he could fully realize his predicament. The crash startled Dan awake, who sat up, half his hair smushed up from sleeping on it. He rubbed one of his eyes, which were pitch black in their demon state due to him being relaxed, his ears more pointed than usual, as well as having an extra pair of arms he was propping himself up on. "Wha'za?" Dan asked tiredly, yawning, showing pointy teeth.

Arin groaned from the floor, not in the mood to try to get up. "Oh, hey, Arin," Dan said, in his half-asleep state not putting together he'd essentially pushed Arin off the couch. 

"Good morning to you, too," Arin grumbled, sitting up slowly.

"Oh, shit," Dan said, snapping into the reality of the situation, swinging his legs over the side of the couch and offering Arin a hand, "sorry dude."

"Don't worry 'bout it, it was nice before I hit the floor," Arin chuckled tiredly, taking Dan's hand and pulling himself up. He cracked his lower back, Dan rubbing his eye again, which was starting to fade back to a normal, human-looking one. 

"It was nice," Dan agreed quietly, stretching two arms in front of himself and two arms above his head, humming in content. He sniffed at the air, "I smell coffee."

Arin looked puzzled, "What time even is it?"

"Eight o'clock in the mornin', ya lazy bastards," Jack shouted from the kitchen. "S'about time you boys woke up. Now Mark and I can have our turn to sleep for twelve hours."

"Twelve hours? Fuck, sorry," Arin said.

"Don't worry 'bout it, if anythin' had happened we'd have woken ya in a heartbeat."

Mark chimed in, "You two looked awfully comfy in there."

Arin and Dan exchanged a look before glancing away from one another, Dan mumbling, "Maybe a little," as Arin muttered, "A bit."

They heard muffled laughter from the kitchen, Mark saying, "We've already had breakfast. I guess you two are gonna be stuck with the day shift from here on."

Arin said, "Like you two are going to get any sleeping done."

"Oh trust me, we will sleep like boulders," Jack said as Dan and Arin walked into the kitchen. "Not unlike you two."

Arin shrugged, "Mark has a comfy couch."

"Mmmhm, tha's what made it comfy, I'm sure," Jack smirked. "Anyway, I ran fresh coffee for the both of ya. I figured you could use it."

"Thanks," Dan said, already pouring himself some into a cup that said 'Caution: The holder of this mug may be hot', using an extra hand to scratch his hair, taming his bed-head.

Mark said, "Also, Sean and I were talking about it, and it seems like it might be a good idea to have a chat with Holly."

Dan paused in stirring sugar into his coffee, turning to look at Mark. "Seriously? You think that's a good idea?"

Jack said, "I mean, her regime against humans is over. Maybe she'd have some good tips against Brian, or maybe she'll know more about what he's plannin'."

"I suppose she might," Dan mused, taking a sip of coffee, satisfied with the sweetness and letting Arin pour himself some, subtly bumping his shoulder into his summoner's as he passed to sit at the table. 

Arin narrowed his eyes at Dan as the demon walked away, brushing it off and saying, "I don't see why not. I want to meet her, anyway."

Mark said, "You two can summon her while Jackaboy and I take a nap. I'm sure you can handle it."

"But what if Ross shows up with her?" Dan whined. "We might summon them in the middle of sexytimes."

Mark snorted, "I think they're more sophisticated than that. And you're grown men, you can handle it if you see anything."

Dan still looked queasy at the thought, Arin saying, "It'll be a great icebreaker, though."

"Sure," Mark chuckled, "just let us know when we wake up if you talked to her and she left."

"Will do, have a nice 'nap'," Arin said pointedly with a smirk, waving as Jack and Mark exited the room to go upstairs. He took a drink of coffee, asking, "So, you know how to summon Holly?"

"You're the wizard, you're the one that does the summoning," Dan said with a tone suggesting Arin was an idiot. 

"Well I don't know, I've only ever conjured up to a tier three."

"You've only ever conjured a tier three," Dan corrected.

"Fuck you, man, I did fine."

Dan giggled, "I'm sure you'll figure it out. But maybe we should finish our coffee, first."

"I'll drink to that," Arin grinned smugly, taking a sip as Dan rolled his eyes.

Arin made Dan hold off on summoning to make them both eggs and toast, Dan praising Arin on his ability to make 'some bitchin' eggs.' After they had wrapped up their breakfast, they headed back up to Mark's summoning room, hearing snoring coming from Mark's bedroom.

"Ten bucks says the snoring is Jack," Arin mumbled.

"Ten bucks says if you open the door, Jack will punch you in the nuts," Dan retorted, who was now in his human form.

Arin seemed to consider that, mumbling, "Touche," and deciding not to take the risk. They shut the door behind them when they entered the summoning room, Arin saying, "Not going to lie, it's kind of weird summoning a demon in front of another demon."

"Why?" Dan asked quizzically.

"I dunno, I guess it feels like I'm showing off or some shit."

"Don't worry, I don't see it that way," Dan replied, "this just has to be done."

"I guess so," Arin said. "Though really, why they're leaving the summoning up to a novice is beyond me."

"If you start fucking up, I'll try to warn you," Dan offered.

"I thought you said you didn't know how to summon demons," Arin said accusingly.

"I don't, but I do understand the mumbo jumbo written in the book," Dan said in reference to the foreign summoning language. "And at the very least, I probably wouldn't make a mistake like 'Dan my enemies'," he smirked.

"Shut up," Arin blushed, opening the book and starting the incantation. The lines of the pentagram started glowing pink, which Arin found to be an odd color, vaguely wondering if every demon summoned made the lines glow a different color. A sudden vortex of feathers swirled to life in the pentagram, two large, feathered wings unfurling from a cocoon shape, revealing a woman with pink hair standing in front of them.

She looked around the room with large, green eyes, her wings fluttering out and folding back before her gaze settled on them. "Ooh, new tweethearts," she grinned pleasantly, her voice a higher pitch than Arin had expected. She clapped her hands together in front of her chest excitedly before asking, "Who might you be?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let it be known i have no fuckin idea how often ross and holly do the do, i just get the feeling its a bit often for some reason


	11. A Plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright here's the low down, the 411, the hot goss some might say  
> point is i'm sorry i haven't had the chance to update in so long :( but that's because clumsy old me went and spilled apple cider on my laptop. I'll be writing this from a shitty backup computer and I'll be trying to get a new personal laptop asap but i've been in a crummy mood because i lost a lot of data and it usually reflects in my writing, so I've waited until i could get some of my old cheer back just for you guys X3 this is a short chapter to fill everyone in on the situation  
> anyway i've rambled enough, enjoy!!

"Tweetheart?" Arin mumbled as Holly scanned over Dan with her eyes.

"You look...familiar," she said, tilting her head. On further study, she was wearing a green, low cut tank top that brought out her eyes, a tan knit cardigan, and shorts.

Dan said, "Uh, maybe? I mean, I do know Ross."

Her eyes lit up, "You're Dan! He's talked about you!" She pumped a fist, excited that she nailed who he was. "He likes to talk about how your hair is so poofy and magical, but I never really believed it'd be this amazing."

Arin slowly leaned over to Dan, mumbling, "This girl led an army?" quietly.

Dan shrugged, replying to Holly, "Thanks, I guess," as he rubbed a hand absently through it.

"So I know one of you," she said, turning on Arin. "Who are you?"

"Uh, Arin," Arin replied. "I'm Dan's-"

"Boyfriend?" she chirped.

Dan grew an impressive shade of red as Arin said, "Um...I mean, no, I was gonna say summoner."

"Really?" she asked skeptically. "You know it's totally cool if you are."

"No, I know, but...no."

"Oh," she glanced between them again anyway, regardless, her wings drooping slightly. "Sorry for jumping to conclusions."

"It's okay," Arin said, glancing to Dan, who hadn't managed to control his blush.

"Aaaanyway," she said, "what can I do for you?"

"Well," Dan said, trying to change the subject as fast as possible, "we were hoping to ask if you knew Brian."

Holly frowned at that, her feathers ruffling. "What about him?"

"Anything you can tell us, at all," Dan replied. "We're...kind of at a stalemate with the guy. He recently tried to recruit me and Jack, another demon, into some army of his. Know anything about that?"

Holly scowled, mumbling, "That son of a..." trailing off into a quiet, garbling string of curses.

Dan found her lack of using curse words audibly endearing, Arin saying, "So you do know him?"

"Yeah, I know him. He's the one that took my idea and twisted it way out of hand," she pouted, crossing her arms. "I'm sorry, I didn't know he was starting anything up again. Things in the demon realm have been relatively quiet. He must be keeping it underground."

"Must be," Dan mumbled. "He attacked us about a week ago."

"And you're alive? And not dismembered?" she frowned.

"We're all pretty okay, yeah," Arin said, rubbing the wound on his arm. 

"Hate to break it to you," she said, "but if he left you alive, he was just messing with you. I've seen that guy rip the hearts out of people without a second thought."

Arin shuddered, mumbling, "Gross. Like, literally?"

She nodded, "He's dangerous. If he's forming himself an army, it can't be anything good. I need to get this information to Ross."

"You can contact him?" Dan asked.

"What can I say, I've been to his house once or twice," she said, shrugging it off. "But he'd be a good first step in a plan to stop Brian. He's not the best wizard around, but he's pretty seasoned, as they go."

Dan said, "We're gonna need all the help we can get. We appreciate it."

"Trust me, it's my pleasure," she grinned. "With your permission, I'll be off to update Ross, and then I can meet you back here. I fly quick."

"Sure," Arin said, undoing the binding spell on the pentagram. "Just uh...hurry back, a'ight? We've all been on edge for the last few days."

"I'll be quick as a peregrine falcon," she smiled warmly. "And for what it's worth, if Brian is after you, you might not wanna wait too long on..." she tapped her fingers together, "holding back. Just sayin'," she winked before opening her wings, quickly swooping them down and disappearing in another whirlwind of feathers.

Dan waved a hand in front of his face, glad the feathers were dissolving on their own. "She was sweet."

Arin coughed quietly, mumbling, "Yeah, she was. As soon as Mark and Jack are done with their nap, we can fill them in."

"Sure," Dan said. "Thankfully they weren't around to hear the boyfriend comment."

Arin chuckled nervously, "Heh, yeah, that'd have been embarrassing. I mean it's like she could totally tell you're into me," he smirked, nudging Dan playfully.

Dan laughed equally shaken, "Ha, totally," before coughing to clear his throat. 

Arin coughed as well, shifting his weight back and forth before blurting, "She wasn't entirely wrong."

Dan blinked, "Wait, what?" Arin stared at him a moment before simply fleeing down the stairs. "Arin, hey, wait," Dan said, giving chase. He caught up to Arin in the living room, setting a hand on his shoulder, starting to ask, "What did you-"

Arin reeled around, "You're fucking cute man, okay? There I said it!" Dan blinked again, staring at him, not sure what to say. Arin continued, "And I mean that in a gay way. I think. I don't know? I mean I've never been with a dude much less a demon but for real it can't be that different right? And I dunno I guess it hadn't really crossed my mind before that damn it's fine if I wanna experiment a little but with a demon it was kinda weird at first but then you just kept being so fucking cute and well say something!" he ended angrily, panting slightly.

Rather than respond verbally, Dan leaned over and pulled him into a kiss.


	12. Bonding

Arin froze, Dan pulling back with a sheepish smile, a blush creeping into his cheeks. He rubbed his neck, saying, "You're not too bad, yourself," with a cheeky grin, trying to lighten the mood.

Arin blinked, mumbling, "Aw hell," and moving forward to kiss Dan again. Dan was surprised for a moment before his instincts kicked in, setting a hand on Arin's jaw, rubbing a thumb over his scruff. He felt a hand tangle through his hair and smirked into the kiss, setting his free hand on Arin's hip. Without meaning to, a soft, possessive growl escaped Dan's throat, getting cut short when Dan realized he was doing it and pulled away from the kiss.

"Dude, what was that about?" Arin asked, looking more amused than concerned.

"Um...I actually don't know?" Dan replied. "It's...it's never happened before," he added, touching his own throat.

"Huh. It was kinda hot."

Dan narrowed his eyes, wondering if Arin was joking. He slowly started smirking, making the low growl again, seeing Arin swallow. Dan snorted, "Oh I'm so keeping that in mind for later use."

Arin shoved Dan's shoulder, muttering, "Shut up, man. How am I supposed to know what demons can do that I happen to find hot?"

"Guess we'll find out together," Dan said cheerily, tapping Arin's nose.

Arin batted his hand away, "I guess. But like...you're okay with this, right?"

Dan rolled his eyes, "No, I kissed you to get a piece of egg off your lip."

Arin chortled, "I mean, I wouldn't have blamed you."

Dan grinned, "Well, um, yeah. Yeah, I think I'm okay with it."

"Alright, cool, then," Arin said uncertainly. "Gay bros, doin' gay things," he added with a chuckle.

Dan snorted, "Okay, but I'm going to need you not to do that every time we do something gay."

"Alriiight," Arin sighed. "Only sometimes," he smirked.

"Only sometimes," Dan agreed. "But uh, we should probably, I dunno, do something until Holly gets back."

"Like each other?" Arin wiggled an eyebrow.

Dan stared at him before saying, "You sure escalate things quickly."

"What can I say, for not realizing until now that I might be gay, I think about dicks a lot," Arin replied with a shrug.

Dan laughed at that, Arin smiling at the sound. Dan said, "It never occurred to you that might be an indicator?"

"I mean, I thought it was relatively normal for dudes to think about dicks. We all got 'em."

Dan snorted, "I suppose so. But seriously man, we should probably focus on like...planning."

"We could, or we could see what else you don't know you can do," Arin said suggestively.

Dan rolled his eyes, "Just because I've never growled at someone doesn't mean I'm not inexperienced."

"I didn't say you were. And that's all the better for me," Arin made finger guns at him, Dan giving him a blank look. "Come on, I'm kidding," Arin said after a few moments of silence.

"I just wanted it to sink in," Dan said, sitting down and frowning. "I don't know if I'll be good for you, Arin. You're sweet, and I think we'd get along, but...look at what's already happened to you since you met me."

Arin sat next to him, saying, "Hey man, the danger is part of the job. Did I expect to date a demon out of joining the trade? Hell no, but things change. And so what if a psycho demon is out to kill me? I have you by my side," he nudged Dan.

"For all the good I've been," Dan mumbled, looking at his hands.

"Don't get all pouty on me," Arin said, setting a hand on his shoulder. "Thing's will be great. You'll be great, and I'll be great, and everything will turn out hunky fuckin' dory. You just gotta believe that."

Dan shook his head but grinned, looking at Arin and saying, "Alright. Fine. Hunky fuckin' dory."

Arin nodded, squeezing his shoulder before letting his hand drop back to his own lap. He said, "So...can I ask how long you've been crushing on me? I mean, I know my wicked good looks are hard to resist," he rubbed a hand through his hair.

Dan chuckled, "I mean, you were cute off the bat. I just didn't consider dating you until Brian..." he frowned, remembering what Brian had shown him, growing quiet.

Arin frowned as well, saying, "Whatever he showed you, it won't happen. He was just trying to psych you out."

"I sincerely hope it won't," Dan said, looking back to Arin to study his concerned gaze. "And if it does, I'll kill the bastard for you."

"Thanks, I guess," Arin said with a small smile. 

"Now I gotta ask," Dan straightened, "when did you fall for my devilishly good looks?" he fluttered his lashes in a joking manner.

"Oh dude, like, day fucking one," Arin replied. "Are you kidding? I've been practically begging you to take me to the bone zone since we met."

Dan laughed, then stopped when Arin was only smiling. "Wait, really?"

Arin looked smug, pinching Dan's cheek and saying, "I'll leave that up to your imagination."

Dan narrowed his eyes, gently shoving Arin's shoulder and saying, "You asshole."

Arin continued looking smug, "You fucker."

Dan raised a brow, "Bitch."

"Cocksucker," Arin retorted, hardly aware he was leaning forward.

"Later," Dan smirked.

"Good," Arin grinned, closing the gap between them with another kiss, a hand behind Dan's neck. Dan hummed a response, losing himself in the kiss, shutting his eyes and leaning forward, Arin leaning back respectively. Dan propped himself on a hand as Arin lay back, Dan's teeth trailing on Arin's lip as Arin's hands helped hold Dan up by the waist. The first kisses were tentative, experimental, growing slowly more confident and strong, Dan's long tongue snaking into Arin's mouth, drawing out a quiet moan. Dan grinned, exploring every crevice of the younger man's teeth, ending in a gently bit lip with a soft kiss in apology. 

Dan trailed down, nuzzling Arin's neck, the summoner tilting his head back. Dan's sharp teeth traced along the surface of the skin, Dan making the soft growl again as he kissed a sensitive patch of skin, licking a line down Arin's throat, making Arin swallow again, Dan nipping close to his Adam's apple. Arin stuttered, "Um...m-maybe we should uh...not do this w-while Mark and Jack might come back."

"Aw," Dan pouted, "I suppose you're right, though."

"We can experiment later, trust me," Arin said, "I'd be...all about that."

Dan smirked, "Glad to see you liked your first tastes."

"Heh...yeah," Arin said, coughing quietly. Dan sat up, helping Arin straighten as well, adjusting to not be straddling him--that could wait for another time.


	13. Suspense

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in the attempt to warn everyone so there's not mass panic--this chapter is from mark and jack's perspective, and itll probably be the only one from their perspective unless i get feedback requesting more. im sorry if you dont happen to ship septiplier, but then i question why you're here when thats in the tags XP anyway if you dont thats all well and good and you can save yourself some time and skip this chapter (which is super fluffy mind you)

Jack opened the door for Mark, bowing dramatically out of the way. Mark rolled his eyes and entered the bedroom, stretching his arms over his head and yawning. Jack shut the door, walking up behind Mark, saying, "Is my Markimoo tired?" with a smirk, wrapping his arms around his stomach.

Mark chuckled, "Well, that'll happen to a person after they stay up for over twelve hours."

"Awww, poor guy," Jack cooed, kissing Mark's neck with a grin.

Mark tilted his head, setting a hand on Jack's arm, "You don't have to coddle me just because I'm human."

"Aye, I don't have to, but I want to," Jack said, nipping Mark's shoulder before slipping Mark's shirt off.

Mark rolled his eyes, "Was that really necessary?"

Jack snorted, "Is that even a real question?"

"Maybe a dumb one," Mark grinned, turning around to give Jack a brief kiss.

"It was," Jack agreed, leaning his head into Mark's hand as Mark gently cupped the side of his face. "How d'you think the boys will hold up alone?"

"I'm sure they'll be fine," Mark said, dropping his hand and leading the way to the bed. "They're grown men. They can handle themselves," he added suggestively.

"Very well, no doubt," Jack said as he followed Mark, sitting on the edge of the bed next to him.

"Not as well as I handle you," Mark purred, tucking an arm around Jack's waist, the demon swallowing.

"Well...perhaps not," Jack tried to sound confident, which didn't work to his advantage.

Mark laughed, a deep, musical guffaw, before saying, "You always get so nervous. It's really rather adorable."

Jack blushed angrily, pouting, "It ain't my fault you have that effect on me."

"And it's a good thing I do," Mark said in a deep tone, leaning forward to kiss Jack before slipping off his shirt, as well. Mark observed the symbol tattooed on Jack's arm as his hands were lifted over his head, which Jack had explained was a rune for "bold". Mark's gaze trailed down the rest of Jack's torso as Jack tossed the shirt aimlessly aside. Mark returned his eyes to Jack's, smiling softly. "You know somethin'?"

"Wha's that?"

"You're beautiful," Mark grinned, brushing the long green bangs of Jack's hair aside.

Jack blushed again, combing his fingers back through his hair, saying, "Nah, I'm nothin' that special. Leastaways not compared to you."

"Quit your lying," Mark chuckled, setting a hand on Jack's lower back to prompt him to lean forward into a longer kiss. Jack hummed quietly, shutting his eyes as he hooked both his arms around Mark's neck in a gentle embrace. When the kiss stopped and he opened his eyes again, they were in their demonic purple and black state, staring hungrily into Mark's. 

Jack said, "I ain't lyin'. You outshine me by miles."

Mark steadily held their gaze, "Don't be ridiculous, Sean." 

"I'll stop bein' ridiculous when you stop denying it," Jack retorted, leaning forward, making Mark lay back. 

"We'll be waiting a long time then."

"Sounds like we've time to kill," Jack smirked, biting Mark's collarbone.

"Sounds like," Mark agreed, pulling Jack back up into a kiss, the demon growling quietly, placing a hand above Mark's shoulder to balance on. Jack tugged at Mark's lip with his teeth, running his tongue along it before slipping it into his mouth. Mark responded in kind, running a hand through Jack's hair to sit behind his head, holding their heads together as closely as possible. Jack grinned, feeling Mark's tongue slide along his own, going back to nipping Mark's lip and pulling back to kiss Mark's neck, sucking on a patch of skin until it turned red. Mark chortled, "There's no need to claim me."

"I'd say it serves more as a warnin'," Jack said against Mark's jaw before dragging his sharp teeth along Mark's scruff.

"If it makes you feel better, I suppose," Mark sighed, rubbing Jack's back.

"It does," Jack muttered, moving aside to lay down next to him.

Mark rolled to face him, "Come on, Sean, you know you're the only demon I'd ever date."

"I'd damn well better be," Jack retorted. "If I catch Dan flirting with you, too, I'll flay him."

"I know you will," Mark said, "but please not in front of Arin; you'll upset him if he doesn't know demon skin grows back relatively fast."

"I know," Jack pouted, sulking.

Mark grinned, tucking a hand under Jack's cheek for him to rest his head on. "You're the best demon boyfriend I could've asked for. Protective, handsome, and charming in a violent way all in one convenient bundle."

Jack rolled his eyes, "Oh, I'm charmin' now, too, am I?"

"You are," Mark brushed Jack's hair out of his face again--it had a habit of falling into his eyes. 

"Don't start it up again," Jack warned, half holding a hand up to point at Mark's chest.

"Alright, alright," Mark said, Jack adjusting and rolling over so Mark could spoon him. Mark slid a foot between Jack's legs, kissing the nape of Jack's neck before nestling his head over Jack's shoulder, his nose ending up by Jack's ear, which Jack didn't mind at all.

"Sleep well," Mark said, stifling another yawn.

"I will, as long as you stay with me," Jack grinned, intertwining his fingers with Mark's when Mark tucked his arm around him. 

"I'm not going anywhere."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ps this is the last fluffy chapter before we get back into the swing of the actual plot--it's gotta happen some time :(


	14. Band of Idiots

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh shit get excited i'm bringing in a plethora of new characters this chapter woot! omg when was the last time someone used woot thats so 2010 someone end me

The inhabitants of Mark's house jumped in surprised unison when the door was kicked open, followed by a cheerful, "Hope you boys had a good rest; I brought companyyy!" in a sing-song tone, akin to a bird song. 

Dan released a pent of breath, Jack setting down the knife he'd picked up instinctively. Dan sighed, "Just Holly," as he ran a hand through his hair, noticing the skin on his arm had started turning blue. He frowned, melding back into his normal human guise as a male voice followed Holly's.

"I'm company!" the newcomer said, his voice having a distinct Australian accent.

"I'm also company," a different female voice said. Mark made a confused, though not upset, face, exchanging a look with Jack, who looked much less pleased with the appearance of more people in the house. They all stood when the three guests entered--Holly, her hair now purple rather than the light pink, a thin man a little shorter than Arin and Dan with short brown hair, and a woman with snowy white skin and long, dark hair, a blonde streak in one side of her bangs. 

Holly was bouncing in place in excitement, "Meet Ross and Suzy," she gestured respectively to them in turn. "Ross, Suzy, meet Arin and Dan, and...Actually, we haven't met."

"Mark and Jack," Mark introduced them, Jack nodding silently, keeping his arms crossed. Mark walked over and held a hand out, "This is actually my house."

"Oh, that explains a bit!" she chirped, shaking his hand. "Nice to meet you."

"And you," Mark smiled warmly. "Welcome, come in."

"This is a nice place," Ross said, looking around. "Ay, Dan, good to see you!" he grinned, walking over.

Dan offered a shy grin, "Just like old times, except in old times we weren't banning together against demons who wanted to kill us."

"Just like old times," Ross smirked. "So you're Danny's new summoner, then?" he turned to Arin.

"That's me," Arin said with a lazy smile. "Glad to know you weren't as good looking."

Ross chuckled, "Oh, is tha' how it's gonna be? After we just met?"

"God damnit, Ross," Dan sighed, "don't start anything."

Holly said, "He's right, Ross," pecking his cheek, "at least let's get settled and get to know one another before making jibes."

"He started it!" Ross pointed accusingly at Arin.

Arin looked shocked, "What, me?" setting a hand on his chest. "I'd never!" The display made Dan snort, covering his smile with a hand. Arin continued wearing his usual shit-eating grin, glancing to Suzy. He said, "So...Suzy, was it? What are you in for?"

Suzy looked up from where she'd been studying a decorative statue of a green eyeball perched on a small tentacle-like tail, her winged eyeliner accenting her eyes in a beautiful fashion. "I'm studying magic under Ross' supervision," she replied, tucking a strand of stray hair behind her ear. "I'm a witch in training."

"No shit, that's awesome," Arin grinned, making Suzy grin sheepishly. Dan casually took a step closer to Arin, playing it off as though he were stretching his arms, happening to sidestep to him. Arin ignored him, saying, "How come your hair's like that?"

"This? Oh, the tips of some of it fell into a potion I was brewing and it just turned the whole strip blonde. I can't do a thing to change it back."

"At least it looks pretty badass," Arin said.

"Thanks," Suzy absently played with the blonde strand, "I think it does, too."

"Soooo," Dan said, "how long have you been a witch?"

"Oh, just a couple months," Suzy said. "I actually met Ross and Holly at our local magical supply store. I'm friends with the owners, Barry and Kevin."

"Huh, I wonder if they know Jon," Arin mused.

"Jon Jafari?" Suzy raised a brow. "Yeah, they're in a trading business with one another. They keep each other stocked on ingredients if one or the other gets low."

"No way, that's rad!"

"Really? Who uses the term rad?" Mark said.

"I do, dickweed," Arin flipped Mark off. "And I'll use it to describe whatever I like."

Mark laughed, "Alright, alright," as Jack flipped Arin off in turn from behind Mark's shoulder. Dan caught the gesture and flipped Jack off for flipping Arin off. Ross saw what was happening and stuck both his middle fingers up to all inhabitants of the room, so as not to feel left out.

"God damnit Ross," Holly and Suzy both sighed. 

Arin mumbled, "That sounds like it'd roll so nicely off the tongue."

"It does," Dan agreed.

"Okay, okay," Mark said, holding both hands out, palms down. "Everybody relax. Can I get anyone anything before we begin this little shindig?"

"Apple juice, please," Dan said.

"I'll get it," Jack walked off to the kitchen.

"Anyone else?" Mark asked.

Arin replied, "Your sweet meats."

"Off limits!" Jack barked from the kitchen, making the others laugh.

"Alright, let's do this thing," Mark said, everyone finding a seat as he flicked a hand, a candle igniting on the coffee table for ambiance.


	15. Possessions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> installment 15 of the story in which i still suck at making titles  
> sorry it's been a hot minute since i've posted a chapter, i've been camping (weird for someone who spends their lives attached to their laptop, i know)

After they were all settled, Ross said, "So, I think the best place to start would be to fill us in on all the details you can, right?"

Suzy nodded, "We can't try to fight an enemy we know nothing about."

Arin said, "What is there to say? He showed up, pretty much kicked our asses, and left again."

Dan leaned over toward Arin, "I think they meant what are Brian's techniques."

"...Oh."

"Even those of us who know him don't know his true potential," Holly chimed in, her wings non-existent to try to preserve space in the room. "A tier five demon is a dangerous thing. Only other tier fives would really be of any use, and I can't say I've met others."

"They really keep to themselves," Dan agreed.

Jack said, "Even if we knew any, they'd probably laugh at our predicament," as he stood by where Mark was sitting, the latter with his hands folded in his lap in patient thought. "We'd have a helluva time tryin' to bring any over to our side."

Holly frowned, "Not _all_ tier fives can be that bad."

"Name one that would be willin' to help us."

Holly shifted uncomfortably, saying, "I don't know, but I'll bet I could find one."

"Thatta girl, always an optimist," Ross grinned, patting her back, making her blush lightly as she smiled sheepishly.

Mark said, "We can save the idea of finding another tier five to recruit until we're positive we need one," to bring them back to the topic at hand. "I don't think we should waste any more time than we have waiting for Brian to make the first move."

"He's right," Jack said, "every minute we spend cowerin' is time he's probably off buildin' up his army."

"Man, fuck his army," Arin waved a hand dismissively. "If we can take Brian out, won't that basically disband whoever he's gathered?"

Mark rubbed his chin, "Well, I don't think you're necessarily wrong, but he may have someone set to take his place already, if their cause is strong enough."

"That, and killin' a tier five won't be an easy task, by any means," Ross said gravely. "Killin' a regular demon is hard enough as it is."

Arin said, "Well is there any record of a stronger demon being killed?"

Holly clapped her hands together, "I could fly down to Jon's shop, see if he has any records of that sort've thing? Or if he knows if Barry and Kevin might have anything."

"You're our strongest asset right now," Mark said, "so maybe we ought to send someone else?"

"But I might be the only one strong enough to go alone. And I'll be quick about it," Holly countered.

Ross sighed, "Just let her go, she's hard to dissuade. I would know," before he kissed her cheek. Mark rolled his eyes but nodded silently in permission.

"I promise, it won't be long," Holly stood, her wings forming before she walked to the front door, shutting it behind her as she left.

"Let's hope her research yields promising results," Mark mumbled.

Jack snorted, "Spoken like a true scientist."

Mark rolled his eyes, Dan asking, "So what now? Should we wait to plan anything until we know more?"

"I don't see a reason to stop planning just because Holly's gone," Ross said. 

"No, by all means, keep planning," a new voice in the room said, shortly before the fire on the candle before them flared, forming a ball of flames that shot at Ross. Ross barely had time to deflect it, Mark jumping to his feet as Jack switched to his demon form. Dan didn't make the change but stepped in front of Arin as they looked around, not seeing anyone, but all knowing who it was that had joined them.

There was a dark chuckle, Brian's disembodied cooing, "This is sweet, really. Wizards and demons banning together. Someone ought to reward you all a medal." Ross subtly reached into his pocket, Dan narrowing his eyes as Brian continued, "It's so precious, it almost makes me want to vomit."

"Not on my rug, please," Mark grumbled, holding a hand out, a shimmery, silver orb appearing around all of them.

"Your ward is strong," Brian complimented, "I'm impressed."

"I've been practicing," Mark said. "We all have."

"Oh, I know. This may come as a surprise to you, but I've been keeping tabs on you lot. And I must say, there seems to be a recurring theme happening here."

"Dare I ask?" Ross said, taking his hand out of his pocket and holding it out as well, helping to reinforce Mark's barrier.

Brian chuckled again, "Let's see if you can figure it out," before he appeared in front of them, setting his hands on the magical shield. Jack growled, his purple eyes flashing dangerously as Brian's hands glowed orange, the barrier forming a crack. There was a moment of anticipation to see if the ward would hold.

It didn't.

In a pulse of light, the cracks spread, the shield shattering like glass. From behind them, a dragon tackled Jack aside. Mark turned to help him as the second dragon, now recovered from its previous injury, sprang at Ross before ramming into an invisible wall inches from Ross's neck. A charm dangling from a necklace around his neck was glowing, Ross smirking before holding out a hand, telekinetic force shoving the confused dragon back. 

As they dealt with the dragons, Suzy threw a small vial at Brian, the vial exploding. Brian took a step back in surprise, not entirely phased by the blow but startled nonetheless. "You'll have to go," he said, holding out a hand, black tendrils forming from the shadows beneath Suzy's feet, tangling around her ankles and holding her in place. She yelped, trying to pull herself free, leaving Dan and Arin to deal with Brian.

Dan frowned, saying, "Brian, you don't have to do this," in a last ditch attempt, rather than trying to waste energy attacking.

"Oh, but you don't know the fun we're about to have," Brian smiled wickedly before turning into his shadowy figure, golden eyes ablaze. Dan didn't have the chance to ponder what he was doing before Brian made a beeline for Arin.

"No!" Dan roared, turning into his demon form and trying to move between Brian and Arin, only too late. Arin had time to take a step back before Brian's shadowy form seeped into Arin's skin. Dan and Arin both froze, Dan's heart pounding as Arin's eyes turned pitch black before fading back to normal.

Except for his golden irises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> am i the queen of cliffhangers or what? [evil cackling]


	16. Puppeteer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hohooo with a title like that don't your spirits just soar?

Dan didn't register the other action in the room. He was too busy staring as Arin studied his own hand before muttering, "Interesting," in Arin's own voice. Arin's eyes flicked back up to Dan as he smirked slowly, "Betcha didn't see this coming, eh?"

Dan snapped out of his reverie to growl, "Get out of him," his four black eyes narrowing dangerously.

"You didn't even ask politely, so I don't think I will," Brian replied smugly. "It's been a long time since I've had to resort to using a meat puppet."

Dan's innards writhed at the term. He grit his sharp teeth, jaw clenched as he said, "I'm going to kill you."

"To do that, you'll have to go through him," Brian used Arin's hand to gesture down at himself. "Oh, and speaking of, if you don't get your friends to stop struggling in the next five seconds, I'm going to start removing limbs from my little toy."

Dan's threatening glare faltered, shouting, "Guys, stop, Brian has Arin! Quit fighting," as he set a hand on Suzy's shoulder, the witch pausing in her struggle to free her legs.

As the room quieted down, the dragons also stopped fighting, though they continued to gnash their fangs at Ross and Mark, Jack baring his own canines right back at them. "That's better," Arin said. "You know, it's remarkable to me what you'll do for a human."

Dan frowned, "That's none of your concern."

"It is my concern. You recall me mentioning a theme? It seems to me that you and Sean there will do anything for your summoners. Because of that, you won't consider joining forces with me. Now the easy thing to do would just be kill the both of them, but that doesn't do much by way of earning your trust."

"Possessing Arin doesn't do that for me, either," Dan mumbled.

"This was a necessary step to make you listen. I'm not an unreasonable demon. I can't possibly imagine why you both foster feelings for your human...compatriots, but I'm willing to move beyond my own feelings about it, if it means gaining you two. You're stronger than you realize. The sad thing is you have no one to help you unlock your potential."

Jack snorted and muttered under his breath, "Talk about cliche."

"I can be your key," Brian continued, disregarding Jack and looking mainly to Dan. "If you come with me right now, I will leave your summoners alone. If any harm comes to them, you can leave, start a riot, whatever you wish."

Mark said, "Why do I feel like that's an empty promise?"

"I'm a demon of my word," Brian replied calmly.

Ross mumbled, "Those are hard to come by..."

"Believe what you will, but this is the last chance I'm giving you."

"Before what?" Dan asked tentatively.

Brian looked around at them, one by one, "Killing all of you. It would be a terrible waste, truly, but I'm tired of wasting the time and effort on you lot."

Mark frowned, glancing to Jack. Dan shifted his weight back and forth on his heels. He felt the eyes of everyone in the room turning to him. _Why the hell does this decision have to fall on me?_ , he thought to himself. Brian, thankfully, waited patiently. Dan looked back up, his eyes scanning over what used to be Arin. Used to be his friend. More than that. He thought about what Arin would want him to do in this situation, getting lost in every detail of Arin's features, except for those bitterly cold, golden eyes. He missed it when they were warm and brown, full of comfort and happiness. A frown tugged at his lips--he'd see them that way again. He reminded himself Arin wasn't dead, just not in control. 

Dan's hands balled into fists. Before he could finish opening his mouth to make a retort, a giant bird smashed through the window, taking all of them by surprise. A deafening caw filled the room, a raven the size of a Saint Bernard with four wings and feathers that looked like they'd been dip-dyed purple landing on one of the dragon's backs. The bird started pecking mercilessly at the dragon's head and neck, tearing into the scales with its sharp beak, talons clinging to the dragon's back. 

Ross grinned, "Good to see you, Holly! Glad you got the call!" as he threw up another barrier around them, preventing the second dragon from reaching them. Arin scowled, holding up a hand that started to glow, the arm getting knocked aside by Dan. 

Brian said, "You wouldn't risk hurting him, would you?" with a coy smile.

"Who said anything about having to hurt him?" Dan retorted, concentrating and feeling his physical form start to fade as his determination to help Arin grew. Brian's smirk fell, Dan growling, "Thanks for the idea. Now fuck off," as his body turned into shadows, four blue slits glowing in place of his eyes, moving forward until he disappeared inside Arin's body as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> who will win the battle for Arin's sweet bod? tune in next week- [is beaten with many large sticks]  
> (i'm kidding hopefully it'll be sooner than a week)


	17. War Game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well, technically it hasn't been a week, but I'm still sorry for the delay! also i'm going to make a shoutout to another Grumps fic called "Seven Thousand Steps"; it's a medieval AU, I'd highly recommend giving it a read! anyway, enjoy!

Dan couldn't help but think, _Wow, I'm inside Arin._

He also couldn't help but notice things felt a bit cramped in there.

Arin's physical body was stiff. In his mind, Dan heard Brian growl, "Damn you, this shouldn't be possible!"

"You did say we were stronger than we realized," Dan replied coolly, only having to think the words in here for everyone to hear them. Including...

"Dan?" Arin's thoughts asked. "Dan?! Holy shit, I'd never thought I'd say this, but it feels great to have you inside me."

Dan snorted, "Don't lie, you probably have been thinking you'd say it eventually."

"Okay, well..."

"Enough!" Brian snapped. "Give this up, Daniel. You haven't had practice in possession. Your energy will drain faster than-"

"Cut the act, I can tell when I'm getting weaker, thank you," Dan said. "And I'm strong enough to kick you out of places you don't belong."

"With too many of us in here, you're putting Arin at risk," Brian retorted. "With three of us fighting for control, it may overload his neurons."

Arin said, "To be frank, I haven't really been trying, didn't figure it was worth the effort."

"And that also sounds kind of like bullshit," Dan added. "But if you're so concerned, then let's go," he said in challenge, his own shadow self mingling with Brian's presence under Arin's skin. Arin's head suddenly formed a splitting headache, but his body still couldn't physically react to it. Dan started backing out, his demon-form silhouette slowly appearing outside Arin's body, his four hands in Arin's chest, grasping a second shadowy figure that was much more reluctant to leave. 

The others in the room with Arin's body waited tensely, Mark muttering, "Come on, come on..." repeatedly.

Dan made a guttural growl as he gave one last yank, ripping Brian's shadow out of Arin, who then collapsed to the floor, sweating and trembling. Dan turned, throwing Brian's shadow away from Arin and into the wall. Dan allowed himself to solidify, panting slightly from the effort but still standing. Mark and Jack cheered, Ross grinning and putting an arm around Holly, who had since switched back into her human form, keeping her wings. 

Dan said, "Leave, before I lose my damn temper."

Brian frowned, straightening and solidifying as well, holding out a hand. The two dragons started glowing before turning into their own silhouettes, bounding over to him and shrinking as they reformed the two golden dragons on Brian's outfit. Brian said, "Well," with an icy edge, "at least we've started seeing what you're capable of."

"I wouldn't have guessed it, either," Dan said with a smirk. "Now go."

Brian hesitated but said, "Very well. Don't think this is over."

"Wouldn't dream of it--I haven't had the chance to kill you, yet."

"We'll see," Brian replied before fading back through the wall, disappearing.

Dan waited a moment to ensure he was gone before turning, quickly moving to kneel by Arin. He set a hand on Arin's back, saying shakily, "Arin, are you okay?" Arin was breathing but remained silent. Dan frowned, beginning to think Brian hadn't been lying about the overload of Arin's brain, "A-Arin please, say something. Please."

Arin rolled to face him, saying hoarsely, "You can get inside me anytime you want."

Dan paused to stare at him before punching his shoulder, Arin snorting as Dan said, "You asshole."

"Couldn't resist," Arin chuckled, sitting up unsteadily, wrapping an arm around Dan in a hug. Dan scooped him up with his four arms, setting Arin over his lap, holding him in a tight embrace. 

"I'm glad you're okay, you dick," Dan mumbled.

"You, too," Arin sighed, loving the feeling of Dan's long hair tickling his nose. 

"Shat up and kiss each other already," Jack groaned. Mark gave him a little shove for the comment, Jack saying, "We're all thinkin' it!"

Ross said, "Oh for sure, I know I was."

"I was quietly hoping..." Holly agreed.

Mark said, "I mean, I was too, but give them some space, guys."

"We're not porn stars," Arin chuckled. "It probably wouldn't do much for any of you."

Suzy tilted a hand back and forth, saying, "Eehh..."

Dan rolled his eyes, leaning back up but keeping his arms behind Arin's back to support him. "I don't know about anyone else, but I could use some food."

Arin said, "Same. All those people inside me made me hungry."

"Stop re-using that joke," Dan grinned.

"Make me."

Dan leaned down, distracting him with a kiss, Jack shouting, "Ha! Gaaaaay!" Dan flipped him off without looking up, Arin grinning and setting his hand on Dan's jaw, everyone feeling the relief that this battle of the war was won.


	18. Calm Before the Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> forgot to mention last chapter, but for those who may be interested, after this fic is wrapped up or maybe even before then, i plan on writing another game grumps fic that's a vampire hunter au. i'll give you three guesses who's gonna be the vampire and who will be the hunter ;3 but keep your eyes peeled!

Mark did a superb job fixing them up a large meal, even though it cost them pretty much all the food they had left in the house. Ross and Holly agreed to restock his kitchen later, at least to ensure that as long as they needed to use his home as a safe house that they'd have enough food to go around. 

Jack had insisted that they break out some alcohol, Arin and Dan politely refusing, neither being huge on drinking, though they did take sodas. Arin had since regained most of his strength, Dan casually keeping a hand on Arin's knee as everyone celebrated the recent victory. Arin said, "Hey, guys, if we can have a moment of realtalk, I just want to give Dan a bit of recognition."

"For kickin' Brian's arse? By all means," Jack said, holding his glass up. 

Arin chuckled but continued, "Yeah, well. When I got into the magic business, I didn't really think this is where it'd bring me. Like, fuck, if you'd told me before I started that a tier five demon would be out to kill me, I'd never have continued. But now that I'm here, I wouldn't have it any other way. And I feel really damn grateful it's brought all of us together."

"Hear, hear," Mark grinned, also lifting his glass, everyone else following suit.

"To Dan, and his kicking of Brian's ass. Who knew a tier three could be so badass," Arin said, Dan bashfully ducking his head to hide his blush.

"To Dan," everyone repeated before taking a long drink, Arin rubbing Dan's back fondly.

After the toast was done, Holly wiped her mouth and said, "Speaking of being a tier three, Dan, what you accomplished doesn't seem to reflect what tier you are."

Dan said, "Well, it's not like I evolved into a tier four or anything."

"Are you sure you weren't always a tier four?" she asked.

Jack groaned, "Don't you dare go leavin' me bein' the weakest demon in the room."

Mark set a comforting hand on Jack's shoulder, "Just because you might be on the lowest tier doesn't make you the weakest. Besides, Brian did say you and Dan were stronger than you realized. Maybe demons _can_ grow into another tier."

"It's unheard of," Jack pouted. "But Holly has a point, I don't know of any tier three that's ever been capable of human possession."

Dan shrugged, "Maybe it was a one time thing. I mean, I just had a lot of determination and it kinda fueled me, I guess."

Holly said, "We'll look into it, later. I think the second order of business, after Ross and I go grocery shopping, should be getting in touch with Barry and Kevin. We can't have too few allies while we're going through this, and maybe they'll have some records on other demons evolving."

They all nodded in general consent, Mark saying, "Maybe forewarning Jon might be a good idea as well. If Brian catches wind that he's helping us, he'll be in danger."

"Fuck, I hadn't thought of that," Arin frowned.

Holly said, "When I flew over there earlier, all seemed quiet. He was actually pretty carefree."

"He's always carefree," Arin countered. "And I don't want him getting hurt because of me."

Ross said, "He'll be fine. Maybe we just oughta get Barry and Kevin to stay with him. There's strength in numbers, after all."

"And that way they'll be closer if we need them," Mark agreed. "But then the question becomes: who's going to go get them?"

"I think we already know who the fastest one here is," Ross glanced to Holly, who didn't like showing off.

"I think you underestimate how fast a drunk Irish demon can travel," Jack retorted.

"Not very fast," Mark chortled.

"...Tha's besides the point. I'm more dangerous when I'm buzzed."

"But you may also be more prone to getting lost. And I don't want you scaring Barry and Kevin," Mark said, rubbing Jack's back.

"Well I wouldn't scare 'em on purpose."

"I know," Mark kissed Jack's cheek.

"Back on track," Ross said. "Holly and I can go recruit Barry and Kevin and make sure they get to Jon's shop safely. That also means we'll be gone overnight, but given how we know Dan can handle Brian now, I'm not very concerned," he smirked.

Arin said, "I feel a thousand percent safer with Dan here."

Dan frowned, "Guys, I appreciate the praise, but we don't know how effective I really am against him. It still seemed like he was holding back."

"So were you," Suzy chipped in. "Even if you didn't realize it."

"I guess so," Dan said, leaning into Arin a tad more. Arin put his arm around him in response, Dan continuing, "Maybe Ross and Holly should get a head start on the road and the rest of us can sleep on it. Or, y'know, nap and keep watch on it."

Ross nodded and stood, offering a hand to Holly, who pulled herself up. "Then we'll be back," Ross said theatrically, throwing his hand that was holding Holly's into the air. "Until we meet again!" He tossed a smoke bomb down, managing to not get out the door in time for the smoke to fade, ruining the disappearing act.

Mark snorted and Jack started laughing at the failed attempt, Dan chuckling to himself as Arin rolled his eyes. Mark said, "I think Jack and I can volunteer for first shift. Arin, you and Dan can take our room, and Suzy, you can have the spare."

"Thanks," Suzy said, standing. "You'll wake us the moment something happens, right?"

"Assuming the somethin' doesn't kill us first," Jack nodded, "of course."

"Of course," she sighed. "Goodnight, gentlemen."

They all reciprocated the phrase, Arin saying, "Here's hoping Holly and Ross make it back safe."

"I'm sure they will. They make a good team," Mark said. "Now go get some rest."

Dan and Arin nodded, heading up the stairs after Suzy, Arin shutting the door behind them after they'd both gotten into the room. Dan muttered, "I dunno if I'll be able to sleep, man."

Arin smirked, "Why, the fact you know Mark has totally banged Jack on this bed bother you?" 

Dan chuckled briefly but said, "Seriously, dude. That scared the shit out of me."

"Well, I'm fine, that counts for something," Arin replied in a more serious fashion, sitting on the bed.

Dan sat next to him, "I just...I wonder if there's a way to prevent Brian from doing it again. To any of you. Maybe there's a charm or some sort've marking that prevents possession. It's dangerous giving him that as an option, and if he made you do anything, I wouldn't forgive myself."

"Hey, I think you did pretty damn well for that being your own first possession. And exorcism, I guess. If we don't figure something out and he does possess me again, I know you'll figure it out."

"I just don't want to give him the chance again," Dan muttered, covering his face with his hands.

"Then you won't. I trust you," Arin replied.

Dan looked to him, "What?"

"I trust you," Arin repeated. "Did you think I didn't or something?"

"I mean...it means a lot to hear that, Arin. It really does."

"Well no shit I trust you. You've basically saved my ass like ten times over by now."

"Not technically ten, but..."

"What the fuck ever," Arin shoved his shoulder lightly. "You've proven you're willing to risk yourself for my sake more than enough."

"Of course I am. You're worth saving."

Arin grinned, leaning to kiss him. Dan hummed softly, Arin leaning back and saying, "I'm not leaving anytime soon, Dan. I promise."

"You'd better keep that promise," Dan said, hesitating before adding, "and...it's Leigh, actually."

Arin blinked, "It's what?"

"My name. My real name is Leigh. I just go by Dan."

"How the fuck did you get Dan out of Leigh?"

Dan rolled his eyes, "Dan is my middle name."

"...Oh. Right. Well. I think Leigh is a very nice name," he said matter of factly.

Dan snorted, "Is that right?"

"It is right," Arin huffed, moving over to lay down. Dan laid down next to him, the two facing one another. 

Dan said, "Well, I'm glad you like it. I just wanted you to know. You can still call me Dan."

"I'll reserve Leigh for special occasions," Arin smirked. 

"Like what?"

Arin rolled to prop himself over Dan, who froze in sudden anticipation. Arin's voice changed to be deeper and huskier, getting closer to Dan's ear as he said, "Your ass is mine, Leigh Daniel...?"

Dan gulped but said, "...Avidan."

Arin leaned back up to give him an amused look, "Daniel Avidan? Isn't that a bit repetitive?"

"It's not like I chose it!" Dan said, not meeting Arin's gaze, pretending he wasn't a deep shade of red.

"Well," Arin grinned, leaning back in close and switching back to his deeper tone, "Leigh Daniel Avidan."

Dan cleared his throat, saying, "You've made your point."

Arin laughed, rolling back off him, covering his face with a pillow to stifle it. Dan's face didn't lose it's rosey shade, Dan narrowing his eyes and slowly switching into his demon form with a growing smirk. He thought, _My turn_ , to himself as he rolled over Arin, pinning Arin's arms with two of his own, the third arm rubbing down Arin's stomach as the fourth sat on the bed to help prop him up. He growled softly, leaning to kiss Arin's neck, saying in his own low tone, "I'm glad you like it, big cat."

It was now Arin's turn to swallow, "Erm...big cat?"

"I dunno, it just came to me," Dan said in his silky smooth fashion, running a finger down Arin's jaw. "You're big, and kinda skittish, like a cat."

Arin chuckled nervously, "I can't believe you'd call me fat, dude."

"It wasn't an insult," Dan grinned, moving to kiss him, nipping his lip. Satisfied with his revenge, he rolled back aside, Arin turning so that Dan could spoon him. Dan morphed back into his human guise, running a hand along Arin's side, kissing his shoulder. "Two can play that game."

"Well I know that now," Arin said, not sounding all that upset.

"We should try to get some sleep," Dan sighed, bending a knee to slip his foot between Arin's.

"Probably." They sat in silence for a few moments before Arin asked, "Can you sing something?"

Dan grinned, tucking some of Arin's hair behind his ear, saying, "Of course," in his dulcet voice before trying to think of a song, settling with, " _So, so you think you can tell, heaven from hell, blue skies from pain? Can you tell a green field, from a cold steel rail? A smile from a veil? Do you think you can tell?_ " Arin shut his eyes, letting Dan's voice wash over him, wondering in his quickly tiring state how it sounded like Dan's voice was harmonizing with itself. He couldn't think it over very long before Dan singing "Wish You were Here" made him drift off to sleep.

When Dan trailed off the last hummed note of the song, still rhythmically rubbing Arin's side in a soothing fashion, he allowed himself a few moments of listening to Arin's gentle snores. Dan smiled softly, kissing Arin's head and mumbling, "Talk about a calm before the storm," before he, too, set his head down, slipping into an uneasy slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "wish you were here" lyrics originally by Pink Floyd :3 seriously if you never heard Dan's cover of it go listen right now it's super relaxing


	19. Past Actions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: this is a chapter that will be focused on Holly and Ross' backstory. sorry that it's a bit out of place but i need something to distract myself from the current events in the good ole US of A, and I'm sure some of ya'll need it too. thanks to user Helenaaaa for the idea X3 i love ya'll, stay safe  
> *disclaimer--i know holly and ross' personalities probably least of all the grumps so i apologize if they don't act "to character"

Holly had tried to convince Ross that flying to Jon's emporium would definitely be safer, but Ross kept insisting that walking this stretch to inform Jon of the situation would be perfectly fine, and he agreed they would definitely fly to Barry and Kevin's shop to save on time. Ross took a deep breath of the night air, "Besides, walking is refreshing at night."

"And extremely dangerous given a tier five is out to kill us," Holly mumbled.

"Hey, relax, we're the strongest demon in the world and the best warlock in the realm. What could happen?" Ross smirked, kissing her cheek.

"God damn it Ross," she groaned, "you never ask what could happen."

"We'll be fine, Holly. All we gotta do is be vigilant."

She rolled her eyes, "In the hopes that he doesn't stab us in the back?"

"I have a detection spell with a wide radius set around us. He'd have to have damn good aim to stab us in the back without me at least knowing he's there."

"Somehow, that isn't comforting," she pouted.

He tucked an arm around her side, "There there, I'll protect you," he smirked.

She shoved his shoulder, though she didn't look genuinely upset. "I know you'll try."

"My damnedest," he grinned, continuing to strut along with the confidence of a male peacock.

They continued on in silence for several paces, enjoying one another's company under the growing starlight. As Jon's shop lights became apparent in the distance, Ross said, "Do you remember the first time we met?"

Holly chuckled musically, "I'll never forget it," as she moved her hand to grasp his, intertwining their fingers. 

~~~

"I'll do it."

The room silenced. The small gathering of wizards all turned to one of their younger, yet arguably most talented members. Ross stood his ground, meeting their gazes with a fearless façade.

"Someone has to, right?" he continued. "I'll summon her. But I'm gonna do it alone; I don't want anyone else in harm's way."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" one of his close friends, Vernon, asked. "I'll stay with you just in case-"

"No," Ross said firmly, "what if she doesn't give in? What if she attacks? I won't be blamed for anything that happens to you if I fail."

Vernon frowned, but he knew of Ross' stubbornness more than anyone. "Alright, man. Just be careful, she's a wily one."

"I know, I read the dossier," Ross said, voice dripping with sarcasm. 

Within the hour, they'd cleared the room and prepared it for summoning. Every precaution was in place--runes sealing the windows and doors, a ring of salt around the pentagram, a ward spell lining the walls. Ross rubbed his thumb absently over a charm hanging from his neck. Of all the wizards he worked with, he probably carried the most charms for 'just in case' scenarios like these. He rolled his shoulders, reminding himself that he'd already gone over his will with Vernon in case something went wrong. He took a deep breath, then another, and then held his hands up, starting to speak the summoning spell from memory. His voice was crisp, clear, and concise, not missing a beat nor a syllable. He couldn't risk anything.

He didn't even falter when a rumble of thunder sounded inside the room. He felt a pull in the air, which is something he'd never experienced when summoning any demon before. It was as though the air itself was thickening, the atmosphere bending as he presumed the demon was trying to resist the summons. A bead of sweat rolled down his temple, but he kept casting the spell, determination to end this once and for all pushing him onward.

After what felt like an hour's worth of incantations and binding rituals, he finally had finished the spell, keeping his hands held out, narrowing his eyes at the dark pool that had formed in the pentagram. Thankfully, the edges weren't crossing the lines of the salt circle, so his binding spells had worked. A figure started rising from the pool, a gooey substance dripping off it, slowly giving form to a female silhouette with wings. Her wings spread out, as much as they could without crossing the lines of the summoning circle. The fingers on her hands had sharp talons, and the narrowed ellipses of color where her eyes should have been were pink. 

Ross' back straightened. Even though the figure was almost solid black, he could tell that this demon wasn't very old. A frown tugged at the corner of his lip, which he quickly got control of. He couldn't show any weakness. As he studied her, she started gaining color, the blackness melting away to show a young woman with short, pink hair wearing high top boots and a skirt, complete with a crop top and three-quarter sleeve jacket. Besides her massive, feathery wings, she looked for all the world like a normal human being.

And she didn't look all that happy.

"So," she growled, "did one of you finally get the balls to kill me?"

Ross cleared his throat, "I won't bother lying to you. That is what I summoned you for."

She frowned, "Then just get it over with."

He blinked. He had at least expected more sly backtalk. "You...you're giving up already?" he asked, his entire plan getting thrown off balance.

She sat down, another move he hadn't been anticipating, "Well, being stuck in here, I can't do much to protect myself anyway. You're all cowards, summoning me instead of facing me head on. I won't even bother asking for a fair trial because none of you will listen to or believe what I have to say."

He balled his fists, reminding himself this was very possibly a trick just to get him to let her out of the pentagram. "Why should we? You've been turning demon kind against us."

"No, I haven't," she replied, looking up to meet his gaze. She looked broken, defeated. "I didn't mean for this. I just wanted to gain rights for my people. I never expected it to get so out of hand. If I'd known my own kind would blow it out of proportion like they did, I would never have said anything." She almost sounded like she was on the verge of tears, saying tightly, "So please, just get it over with. I've failed myself. I've failed my people. I've failed your people." With that, she hung her head, as if waiting for an executioner to take her head.

Ross considered her words. Unless she was a superb actress, she sounded genuinely upset over what her actions had wrought. And as far as Ross was concerned, that was punishment enough.

He approached the pentagram, hesitating a brief moment before kicking an opening into the salt circle, holding a hand over a binding rune and nullifying it. Holly slowly looked up in confusion, not standing as Ross said, "Consider this your fair trial, then. Fight me."

She didn't move. She stayed silent a moment before asking, "What are you doing?"

"I'm giving you a fair chance. If you're as sorry as you say, then you beatin' yourself up over it seems to be punishment in and of itself. You clearly regret doin' what you did. But that said, I can't release you scotch free." He didn't mention he was hoping that she would choose to fight so he'd at least have an excuse if he had to resort to killing her.

She gradually stood, still looking in awe. She didn't make any moves against him, saying, "You...are actually going to face me in a fight?"

"Well, it's hardly fair to kill you in cold blood," Ross shrugged. "And I'm not afraid of you."

She studied him, holding his gaze. She slowly stretched her wings, now able to cross the threshold of the pentacle, before cautiously taking a step over its boundary. Ross stiffened, his hand hovering over a charm that would activate a ward. She looked back to him, saying, "Thank you."

"What can I say, not all summoners are so cruel to their demons."

"...No, I guess not," she said quietly. Neither of them moved. She broke the silence, "Can...can this be resolved peacefully?"

"If you really mean what you said, and you didn't mean for this to happen," Ross nodded, "then yeah, I believe it can. If you can prove yourself to me, I'll back you up. I promise."

At length, a small smile broke out over her face. Ross couldn't help but smile back--it was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen.

~~~

"Thank you for trusting me," Holly said as they approached the door to Jon's shop.

"You earned it," Ross replied, "and I never go back on a promise."

Holly was reaching for the handle when they heard a shout from inside. They exchanged a look before Holly burst through the door, claws at the ready, the charms on Ross' necklaces glowing in preparation for a fight. Then they heard Jon say, "You damn fucking bird! What the hell!"

Holly and Ross exchanged another look, this one more confused. "Jon? You okay bud?" Ross called.

"Ross? That you?" Jon asked, appearing from the back room behind the counter. He was holding a cloth to his lip. "Yeah, didn't mean to frighten you, but Jacques just bit me on the lip _again_ ," he said pointedly at the parrot, who unsurprisingly didn't seem very apologetic.

"Aw, poor guy," Holly mumbled.

"Nah, it ain't that bad, it just took me by surprise is all," Jon replied.

Holly said, "Actually, I was talking about Jacques."

"Oh, well thanks for the fucking concern."

"Of course," Holly said, watching Jacques fly out of the back room a second later, the small bird landing on her shoulder. She grinned and pet his head with a finger, cooing to him and chirping, holding a chittering conversation.

Ross didn't react, as her talking to birds was a completely normal occurrence to him. "We can't stay for long, we just need to inform you of the situation before moving on."

"Situation? Well damn, I want in," Jon said, gesturing for them to have a seat. "What's goin' on?"


	20. The Brink of War

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello lovelies, sorry it's been so long since an update. fear not, i have returned and hopefully will be able to stay on a fairly consistent update basis from here on, but no promises XS you never know what kinda stuff will come up!

Dan woke up with a heavy weight sprawled over his torso. He blearily blinked his eyes open, finding Arin had somehow unconsciously dragged himself over Dan's chest, and evidently, Dan had taken to using him as a blanket. He found himself to be just fine with this development, closing his eyes again and carefully rubbing Arin's back in time with his gentle snores. Dan grinned, not able to remember a time he felt more comfortable. 

He laid like that for several more minutes, reveling in the peace and the comfort of Arin's steady breathing. He opened his eyes again only when he felt Arin stir, cooing, "Good morning sleepy head," in an endearing fashion.

"Blegh, it's too morning," Arin muttered grumpily, stuffing his face back into Dan's chest.

"Aww, did someone not sweep well?" Dan asked in a baby-coddling tone.

"I slept like a fucking baby, thank you for asking," Arin retorted, not coming off as sharp as he'd wanted it to with the way he had spoken directly into Dan's chest.

Dan chuckled, "Good, you needed the rest. How are you feeling?"

"Loads better, actually, but I'm just tired as shit," Arin sighed, rolling and readjusting to tuck himself alongside Dan, using the demon's shoulder as his new headrest.

Dan's nose twitched as some of Arin's stray hairs tickled it, "At least you don't have a demon inside you anymore."

"Actually, that'd improve the situation," Arin smirked.

Dan rolled his eyes, "Maybe later."

They fell back into a companionable silence, enjoying one another's company and the morning light filtering through the edges of the curtain. Unfortunately, it was rather short lived, as a sudden bang from the floor below jolted the two into an upright position. 

"What's goin' on?" Arin muttered, looking around in an adorably frantic, tired way. 

Dan focused and said, "I don't know, but I don't hear screaming," quietly. "Think we should go check it out?"

The pair remained silent another moment, hearing presumably Suzy making her way downstairs to see what the fuss was about. Arin said, "Well we can't look like we have bigger pussies than an actual girl," as he swung his legs over the bed to stand.

"That's fair," Dan concluded, standing and walking to the door first, making it a point to stay in front of Arin.

They heard Suzy ask, "What the hell was that?"

Jack's response rang down the hall, "I don't fackin' know! You keep that kinda shit in your purse?!"

"Yes! Because I know how to handle the volatile ones! And it's not a purse, it's a satchel," she groaned.

"Well ya didn't fookin' tell us there were potions that exploded if ya accidentally knock the _satchel_ off the table! That've been nice ta know!" Jack snapped, his accent somehow stronger when he was angry.

"Sorry that I don't like concerning people with keeping explosives in their house!" she retorted.

Mark said, "Guys, come on, it was an accident."

By this point, Dan and Arin had appeared around the corner to watch the banter in person. Jack pointed to them, saying, "And ya woke the princesses!"

"Fuck off," Arin said, yawning widely now that he knew it wasn't a dire emergency.

Dan tried not to fawn over the way Arin rubbed his eye like a sleepy toddler, saying, "At least everyone's okay, and it doesn't look like it caused too much damage," optimistically.

"No, but those kind of potions are hard to make," Suzy pouted. "The ingredients for the more potent ones can be really hard to come by," she grumbled as she started picking up shards of glass.

Mark said, "Please, let me," before swishing a hand, the glass pieces skidding across the floor towards one another by an invisible force. With a tinkling sound, the pieces started reassembling themselves until the vial reformed, though the liquid that used to be inside it was no longer there.

"Oh, thanks," Suzy said bashfully, picking up the bottle. 

"Don't mention it," Mark flashed his signature smile.

Dan asked, "So, did Holly and Ross check back in, yet?"

Jack answered, "Nope, here's hopin' they didn't jump ship while they had the chance."

Arin's voice emanated from the kitchen, "I don't think they'd just take off at first opportunity; that'd be a super dick move," followed by a muffled, "shit," when he burned himself on the edge of the pot that Mark had set to brew their morning coffee.

Mark said, "I'm sure they'll show up," soothingly. 

Dan rubbed a hand through his bed-head of hair, "I wonder if they're gonna bring Barry and Kevin by to meet us?"

Mark shrugged, "I couldn't say, but we're not going to go knocking anything they have onto the floor, are we?" he turned to Jack.

"Oh fuck off," Jack grumbled, crossing his arms, his eyes briefly glinting purple. His cheeks also shaded to red when Mark kissed one. 

Mark looked smug with himself, saying, "Well, if it's fine by you three, I think it's high time Jack and I took our turn to sleep."

"Course," Dan nodded, making a shooing motion with his hand, "go get some rest."

Mark nodded, setting a hand on Jack's back to steer him towards the stairwell. Suzy and Dan watched them go as Arin entered the room, now bearing a coffee mug. "Well, let's get ready for the day," he said, lifting the cup in a celebratory fashion before taking a sip.

Dan and Arin ended up practicing Arin's wards, mostly, as well as looking into any books Mark might have on demonic possession. They poured over anything that even had a vague reference to it, not finding anything that would prevent Brian from doing it again. Suzy, meanwhile, spent her time rifling through Mark's cabinets to make some basic potions, brewing them in the backyard in a small, portable cauldron. The cauldron puffed various colors of smoke now and then depending on what she added to it, the witch looking quite content in her zone.

In the afternoon, when the sun was setting, Dan and Arin looked up from sitting across from each other in the living room when they heard footsteps making their way downstairs. Jack's hair was a mess, Mark stretching with a yawn and waving tiredly. "They come yet?" he asked.

"No signs so far," Arin replied, jumping when there was a knock on the door.

"Huh, good timing," Dan mumbled, Holly poking her head in. 

"Just us," she said, her cheerful tone warming the hearts of those who heard it. "And some gueeests," she smiled, dramatically entering the house, throwing the door ajar and holding her hands out towards the entryway.

A bearded man with broad shoulders and short hair entered the house first, looking around with an expression that read 'not bad'. Following him was a much smaller, younger man, looking to only be about sixteen at the oldest. The second one was wearing a beanie, hands in his pockets, a shy smile on his face before he waved to those in the house. Holly chirped, "Everyone, meet Barry and Kevin, demon extraordinaires!"


	21. The Demon Hunters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uuugh i'm so sorry my dudes i work retail and thanksgiving through christmas it's really hard to get stuff done with the work scheduling. but it's okay though bc here's a new chapter yaaaay!

Barry and Kevin nodded and waved respectfully as Holly introduced them. Arin said, "I have no idea why, but I have the insane urge to protect you," gesturing to Kevin.

Kevin halfheartedly chuckled, "Yeah, well, people usually get a mothering instinct for me when they think I'm about twelve."

"How old are you?" Arin asked curiously.

"Twenty five," Kevin replied.

"What? No, no way, you're like...eighteen, right?"

"Nope, twenty five," Kevin said, sounding like this was the ten millionth time he'd had to reassure people.

Barry clapped a hand to Kevin's shoulder, "He's a strong man for taking it."

Dan said, "No shit, that's like how people react when they find out I'm five hundred and twelve."

Arin blinked, slowly turning to look at him, "Um?"

Dan made a double-take at Arin, quickly assuring, "Oh, no no, in human years that's like...thirty seven."

"Thirty seven?" Arin's brows raised.

Jack shrugged, "Hey, I'm three hundred and eighty five. That's about twenty six human years, give or take," he rocked on his heels.

Arin said, "Gods, you're all old men," in fake astonishment and awe.

Mark chortled, "I think it's more about personality than age."

Jack rolled his eyes, "Shut up, ya fackin' panther. You're twenty seven."

Mark grinned and kissed Jack's cheek while Arin mused, "I guess thirty seven isn't that bad."

Dan snorted, "Glad to hear you're already past five hundred and twelve."

"Eh, well, Mark has a point."

Barry said, "Not to interrupt this bonding moment, but shouldn't we, I dunno, be plotting something?"

"Y'know, probably," Mark agreed. "We're glad to see you guys made it okay."

Holly said, "It was smooth sailing," as she trailed her hand gracefully through the air in a wave motion. "Not one sign of Brian."

Ross nodded, "Makes me wonder if it was a bit too easy," with almost comical suspicion.

Holly rolled her eyes, "P'shaw, that kinda thing only happens in movies."

"In any case," Barry said, "that doesn't mean we should let our guard down."

"Not at all," Mark nodded curtly. "We'll be ready."

Dan subconsciously shifted closer to Arin, Kevin studying mostly Dan and Jack when the two demons weren't paying attention. Jack said, "Besides, I owe him an ass kickin'," with a smirk, his eyes glinting purple.

"So do I," Dan mumbled, glancing to Arin, the younger man setting a hand on Dan's lower back, giving him a comforting grin.

"He messed with the wrong group of guys," Arin said. "We'll take the fight to him if we have to."

Jack declared, "Arin's right. I'm sick and tired of lettin' him come to us."

Mark soothingly said, "This is our home turf, we have an advantage here. Like Arin also said, we'll take the fight to him _if_ , and only if, we have to."

Jack pouted, Barry saying, "We brought a few books on tier five demons, as Holly requested. I suggest we begin by reading them for any pertinent information."

Mark nodded, "Good idea. Everyone, grab a book."

The books were distributed, Mark offering to go make a pot of tea and of coffee before getting to his own book. Holly looked content with her mug of tea, the string still dangling over the edge of her mug as she took sips, sitting in the air hovering by the ceiling. Dan had also selected tea, while Arin took coffee, the two sharing the loveseat, Barry sitting on the armrest, using reading glasses as he poured over his own tome. 

Kevin occupied a corner, leaning in the shadows and reading at a fast pace. Jack had his head in Mark's lap, lying down as Mark held his book around the side of the green head. Once in awhile, someone would perk up and point something out, usually only to have their idea shot down by one of the demons explaining how what was written was a falsehood. "Some demons craft their own books and publish them to throw hunters off the trail," Holly elaborated. 

"Speaking of hunters," Arin said, "why don't we like...find out where Brian is based? He may move around a lot, but there's bound to be somewhere he calls home, right?"

Dan mused, "Not...a terrible idea, but that'd mean the three demons in here would be the ones tracking him. Assuming he's based in the demon realm."

Suzy said, "He may not be though. I mean, if I were him, I'd try to hide out where people wouldn't expect me."

"Fair point," Mark speculated, rubbing the scruff on his chin. "Maybe he's been occupying the human realm. He may hate humans, but that's all the more reason to search here."

Kevin's voice piped in from his corner, "But he may be expecting us to think that--reverse psychology and all."

"Shit," Arin mumbled, setting his head in his hand.

Dan rubbed his back, "It's okay, it was a good point."

Barry said, "If he had more recently been here, it'd be easier to pick up on his presence."

"On his what?" Arin asked.

"His presence. Kind of like a scent trail, but people and demons alike leave one everywhere they go. With enough meditative practice, people can learn to pick up on those traces. Demons can do it easier than humans can."

"Well shit, why didn't we try that before?" Arin said.

Kevin said, "Because some demons can learn to muffle their presence, anyway. That's how most tier fives stay unidentified."

Dan sighed, "And I don't think any of us happen to know how to see that kinda thing."

Holly bashfully admitted, "I've tampered with it, once or twice. But I don't think Brian's going to have left one."

Ross set a hand on her ankle, as that's all he could reach with her floating, "Might be worth a shot. Can't hurt, right?"

"I guess not. I just can't believe we didn't think of it, sooner," she pouted.

"Hey now, we didn't think of it, either," Ross gave her a grin. "Just give it your best."

"Okay!" Holly said, her confidence growing as she crossed her legs and shut her eyes. Kevin studied her closely, Holly beginning to glow softly, along with everyone else in the room. Each person had a subtle fog of various colors around them. Jack's aura was orange, contrasting Mark's royal blue. Dan's was sky blue, mingling nicely with Arin's maroon. Kevin's was a burnt orange, and Barry's was green. Suzy's was a soft purple, and Ross' was yellow, looking happy paired with Holly's light pink. There were faded trails all around the room from when certain people had stood to go to the kitchen for snacks or drinks, or to use the restroom. The issue was, there were no alien colors in the room to be found. 

"Aw," Holly frowned, looking around, squinting her eyes just in case.

Barry shrugged, "Like I said, the more recently he'd been here, the better chance we'd have had of it working."

Arin said, "Then...why don't we draw him here? We've fought him and won before."

Dan firmly said, "No, not until we've figured out the anti possession problem."

Ross clapped a hand to his forehead, "Oh, shit, I totally forgot in all the hullaballoo. Here," he dug around in his pocket, pulling out a necklace and muttering to himself as he stuffed it back, pulling out a different one. This necklace had a small gemstone encased in an iron cage of rings. He walked it over to Arin, saying, "If you wear this, it ought to deter him. The gemstone had a charm cast on it to repel demons, and they get burned by iron."

Arin frowned, "Uh, thanks, but if I wear it, will Dan find me repulsive?"

"That'd be hard to manage," Dan muttered.

"Fair enough," Ross said, "just keep it in this pouch, then, until we know we're goin' after Brian." He drew a small velvet drawstring pouch out of his inner jacket pocket, dropping the necklace inside and handing it to Arin. 

Arin took it and pocketed it, saying, "Cool."

"It may not technically stop him from possessing you, but you can use it to your advantage, probably."

"Probably," Arin said thoughtfully, Dan wrapping an arm around him. 

"Well then," Jack said, "looks like we gotta find some bait."

Dan frowned, saying, "That'd be us, Jack, you know that, right?"

"What? Why?"

"He's always wanted us on his side," Dan explained, "so, let's turn ourselves in."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for the record i still can't predict how many chapters this thing will have so bear with me lovelies and thank you so much for the support!!


	22. Hook and Sinker

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so I just gotta tell ya'll i went to the Grumps live show in Chicago the other day and it was fan fuckin' tastic, i strongly recommend seeing these two goofballs in person at some point. not to mention they shared a "sensual hug" *COUGH* and i got to see it in person, so it made it all worthwhile XD enjoy the chapter!

Arin said, "Oh, oh and I'm the crazy one for suggesting we bring the fight to him."

Dan retorted, "I'm serious, what better way is there?"

Mark frowned, rubbing his chin as Jack said, "Fuck it, he can have my foot up his arse afterward."

"That's the spirit," Dan chuckled.

Arin frowned, "But like...what if he kidnaps you or some shit? Like...what if he takes you into the demon realm and we can't find you. He'll probably just immediately come back to try to kill us while you guys aren't around."

Ross said, "You have a point. He did seem pretty eager to tear us to shreds."

Dan firmly said, "We won't let it happen. We'll keep an eye on him. If he tries to go off alone, we'll find some excuse to go with him, I guess."

"No offense, dude," Arin said, "but you don't really seem to have thought this through."

"Which is why I brought it up, so we can all plan it better. We somehow call Brian over, submit and go with him, get some insider info, maybe kick him in the balls on the way out. Piece of cake."

Barry nodded slowly, "It...could work, but you two would have to put on a really good act to make him buy that you're really on his side."

Mark said, "True, what if he asks you to do something to prove your loyalty?"

"We'll be ready," Dan said, even though he had a feeling he knew what Mark meant.

~~~

"Erm...Brian?" Dan called, standing with Jack on the road a short distance away from the rest of the group, who were waiting by the door to Mark's house. None of them were in hiding, Mark and Arin taking the front of the group with Ross, who had a charm at the ready. Arin nervously fiddled with the velvet pouch in his pocket while they waited.

Jack said, "'Ere, lemme have a go at it. OI, BRIAN. WE AIN'T DICKIN' AROUND, SHOW YERSELF, YA SLIMY BASTARD."

"Well, since you asked so nicely," Brian's voice said, the street lights flickering out, darkening the street. The darkness intensified as the moving shadows signifying Brian's arrival slid into view, swirling up and into his silhouetted form. 

Dan gave Jack a sideways look for his choice of words before saying, "Thanks for coming."

"Of course," Brian crossed his arms over his chest, "so what can I do for you?"

Dan frowned, stepping forward, "We're tired of living in the constant paranoia that you might attack at any time. We've decided it'd..." he glanced behind himself where Arin was watching from the door. He shut his eyes and forced himself to look back to Brian, "It'd be easier on all of us if we joined you."

"Oh, now this _is_ a surprise," Brian said, though he didn't sound all that surprised. "You're in agreement on this?" he looked to Jack.

"Aye," Jack growled, crossing his own arms, "but we do have one condition."

"I know, I know, I can't touch your humans," Brian drawled, waving a hand. "Really, you've become predictable."

Dan said, "That includes the time we spend serving you and after this war you plan on waging is done and over. You have to swear you won't harm them in any way."

Brian sighed, "You have my word."

Dan blinked, "...Really?"

"Well, yes. If it means you'll help me, I suppose I can spare a few pitiful human lives. Although," Brian rubbed his chin theatrically, "somehow, I'm just not sure you're being fully honest with me."

Jack muttered, "Wow, I can actually feel the sarcasm."

Dan elbowed him before saying, "What can we do to prove ourselves?"

"Hmm, what an interesting question," Brian grinned smugly. "I think letting me wipe your memories of them will do."

"Wh...what?" Dan said, having to mask his panic. They hadn't prepared for this option. 

Brian said, "Wouldn't that make it easier on you? I've already sworn I won't have them killed."

Jack growled as his eyes turned purple, "But if we don't remember them, then we won't care whether you kill 'em or not!"

Brian snorted, "Entertaining as that would be, I don't want you two distracted by the thought of the loved ones you left behind. If I send you to kill them, they probably have ways of proving they knew you, anyway. I promise, I won't send you after them. I just want you focused on your work for me."

Dan and Jack exchanged a look. Ross said, "We can protect 'em if he sends you guys after us, don't worry." Holly gave Ross a surprised look, astounded he seemed to be backing the idea.

Dan said, "Can...you just give us a minute to think it over?"

"Sure, I'm patient," Brian shrugged. Dan nodded and turned with Jack to walk back to their group, Brian staying where he was, the golden dragons on his chest gleaming wickedly. Brian observed them, figuring Ross must have put up a sound barrier to stop him from overhearing their discussion. It took more than a minute, but Brian was taken aback when Dan wrapped Arin in a hug, Jack similarly hugging Mark. The two couples shared a long embrace, followed by a kiss. He raised a brow, not actually expecting his proposition to have worked as the two demons squared their shoulders and turned to walk back to him.

Dan said, "We're in."

Brian raised a brow, "Really?"

"Just do it, you bastard, before we change our minds," Jack frowned.

"Alright, then," Brian said, slowly smiling, "since you asked so nicely," he held his hands out.

Dan threw another glance over his shoulder before steeling his nerves, taking Brian's hand, Jack taking the other. The two of them were turned into shadows, and the three demons disappeared silently into the night, the streetlights flickering back on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *good girls go bad plays in the distance*  
> i have a thing for good characters turning to the dark side okay?


	23. Kin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> why did i even make chapter titles now i have to stick through with them til the end and i suck at picking them shhhhit

Mark watched Arin pace back and forth across the floor. He'd been at it for a good ten minutes since they'd gone back inside. They didn't realize just how long they'd stayed standing on the porch, thinking maybe it was a hoax after all and Brian would spit Dan and Jack right back at them. But he didn't, and the night remained silent as they waited in a vain hope that one of them would wake up from a dream. Holly and Ross had gone upstairs, and Barry and Kevin had opted to run down the street to meet with Jon while things would remain quiet.

Mark finally said, "Arin, believe me, if anyone knows what you're feeling right now, it's me, but your pacing isn't helping matters."

"Neither is sitting and doing nothing," Arin said with a bitter undertone. "What did we do? What the fuck did we do that for?"

"It'll be alright. I know things about Jack that'll convince him I know him, even if he doesn't know me."

"That's assuming Brian doesn't keep his word and sends them after us," Arin snapped. "What if he manipulates them into thinking we've just read a lot of information on them? Hell, even worse, what if he keeps his promise and we never see them again?"

"We can summon them back after the war is over, and enlist their help ending Brian's assumed rule."

"And how many people will die until then, huh?"

Mark frowned, folding his hands together on his lap and hanging his head, "I don't know."

Suzy entered the room bearing a tray with mugs of tea. "I added a tonic to help calm your nerves," she said tentatively.

"I don't want to be calm! How can you all sit there so nonchalantly about this?!" Arin snarled.

Mark said, "Arin," firmly, standing, "we're worried, too. But losing our heads right now isn't going to help get them back on our side."

"Then let's start planning," Arin sat. "Suzy, I appreciate it, but look what we're dealing with, man. We can't afford to get all drugged up right now, either. We don't know how long it'll be until Brian decides to strike."

"If he does at all," Suzy said softly. "I know you're concerned, but it isn't like this tonic is going to incapacitate you. It's just to help you relax. If anything, you may be able to think more clearly."

Arin frowned as he glanced back to the mugs, Mark sighing and taking one. Mark said, "Thank you, Suzy," politely before taking a sip.

"...Fine," Arin grumbled, taking the second mug and holding it, breathing in the steam for the time being. He had to admit, the aroma was pleasant. Suzy smiled gently but didn't say anything, turning to take the tray back into the kitchen.

Mark said, "Do you think he's going to send them after us?"

"Without a fuckin' doubt," Arin mumbled, taking a sip of tea at the thought.

~~~

Dan came to with a splitting headache. He groaned and rolled over, putting a hand to his head and cracking his eyes open. As his vision started to focus, he realized he wasn't entirely sure where he was. He slowly sat up, hearing someone say, "Thank gods, you're awake!"

Dan turned his head, running a hand back through his hair to push his bangs from his black eyes to get a better look at the one who'd spoken. Brian was seated across the room at a table. There was a second bed next to the one Dan was in, Jack similarly rolling over, covering his head with his pillow. Dan looked back to Brian, asking, "The hell happened?"

"You've been out for quite some time; they hit you with a nasty spell. I've been trying to wake you for days."

"Days?" Dan asked, confused beyond reason. "And who's 'they'?"

Brian frowned, "You...don't remember?"

"Remember what?" Dan said.

Jack grumbled, "Would ya both kindly take it the fuck elsewhere if you're gonna be so loud?"

Dan said, "We're...not being that loud, Jack."

"This is worse than bein' hungover," Jack mumbled.

Brian chuckled, "Well, you haven't entirely lost yourselves, at least. But if it was a memory spell, that explains why your heads would be in pain."

"But who cast it?" Dan asked again.

Brian sighed, "I'm sorry to say that...I'm partially to blame. If I'd known they were so strong, I'd have sent you both with reinforcements."

"Sent us where? Brian, what the hell are you talking about?"

Brian folded his hands in his lap, "I sent you two on a mission to eliminate a powerful band of wizards that pose a threat to our mission. I thought surely two tier fours would be able to handle them, but I hadn't accounted for them to have enslaved their own demon."

Dan blinked tiredly, "We're tier threes."

Brian raised a brow, "Daniel, what else don't you remember?"

Dan snorted, "Well, gee, if only I could you know, remember."

Brian grinned, "Alright, fair enough. But you both have power equivalent to tier fours. I'd been training you to unlock your inner power before _they_ stepped in and tried to disband us."

"But...how large of a group are we talking?"

"Three trained wizards, a witch, a tier four demon they've corrupted and manipulated into doing their bidding, and two demon hunters."

Jack said, "Wow, sounds like a problem for another damn time," from under his pillow.

Brain solemnly said, "Unfortunately, this is not a problem that can wait. These people are stronger than I anticipated, but they presume right now we're weakened. We can catch them off guard."

Dan asked, "Would you come with us?"

Brian hesitated and frowned, "I have other matters that need tending to."

Jack finally sat up, letting the pillow fall, "You mean to say you wanna send us directly back to the people who bested us when we were sent alone the first time?"

"Not alone," Brian said, "my dragons will meet you at the house."

Up until then, Dan hadn't noticed the absence of the two golden dragon sigils on Brian's chest. Jack huffed, "Oh, great. Sounds like a swell plan. What's so bad about these people anyway?"

"They won't rest until every demon is under oath to serve humanity." This got Dan and Jack's attention, the two stilling as Brian continued, "They believe themselves to be better than us. They mean to enslave us, and be the superior race. We've seen this before, you recall."

Dan nodded slowly, "Right, back when...Holly was revolting."

Brian said coldly, "And Holly is the one they've captured. I'm not sure what torture they put her through to bend her to their will, but they managed it."

"What?" Dan breathed in disbelief. From the stories he'd heard of Holly, she was among the strongest tier fours had to offer. If this group of wizards could bring her under control..."Where are they?"

"Pardon?" Brian raised a brow.

"Where is this group of wizards?" Dan growled, his skin turning blue.

Jack grinned, his pointed teeth gleaming as his eyes turned purple, "I'm down to teach 'em a thing or two."

Brian smiled, "I'm glad to see you're so eager. Very well, I'll grant you your revenge."


	24. New Tricks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wowza, guess i really ought to stop saying anything about how often i'll be posting new chapters. my sincerest apologies for keeping you all waiting, stuff kept coming up that prevented me from getting any writing done. i suppose I'll just make up for it with a longer chapter X3 enjoy, my lovelies!

Arin was sitting on the couch in the living room, reading a book idly as he waited for Barry and Kevin to get back from Jon's emporium. It had started taking a little longer than they'd expected for the two demon hunters to return, so Ross and Holly had opted to go make sure they were alright, promising they'd be back within the hour. Suzy had gone to take a nap as Mark opted to double check their perimeter defenses. 

Arin's stomach twisted in anxious knots. He frowned, trying to concentrate on the words in the book and finding he was barely able to make sense of them. He shook his head, telling himself they were prepared and refocusing.

Arin's head snapped up when he heard a booming crash outside, Mark shouting, "Ar-" and getting cut off with another deafening rumbling sound like thunder. Arin stood quickly, about to go wake Suzy before Mark shoved through the front door, slamming it shut behind him.

"What the hell was that?!" Arin asked, grabbing one of the fire irons hanging by Mark's fireplace.

"One of Brian's dragons," Mark scowled, "no sign of Sean or Dan."

"Shit, shit," Arin said under his breath as Suzy ran downstairs, a vial in hand. "We probably shouldn't have let Barry and Kevin go."

"It's too late now," Mark said, using telekinetic magic to slide a bookcase in front of the front door as a barricade. 

Suzy said, "I'll watch the back door," before running to the back entrance of the house.

Arin asked, "Should I make sure they don't come in upstairs?"

Mark shook his head, "No, we can't afford to spread out too much. Just stay at the bottom of the-" he was cut off when there was a thud at the front door, followed by a growl. "Stand back to back with me," Mark instructed instead, Arin silently obeying and hoping his brushing up on defensive magic would be enough to help.

The house grew eerily silent. The dragons had stopped growling, and whatever the thunderous sounds from before had been had ceased. Mark dared to break the silence, asking, "Suzy, anything?" keeping an eye on the windows.

"Nothing," came her response, shortly before the windows started darkening, a thick, magic shroud of some kind covering them until it looked like the windows had been coated in a thick paint. Arin bit his lip nervously, wondering who was casting the spell that was causing it. 

Mark said quietly, "It could be just Brian."

"I don't think so," Arin responded, his blood running cold, "he'd enjoy the irony of the betrayal too much."

"Well, you've got a point there," Mark mumbled, hearing a window break but not able to pinpoint which one it had been. "Suzy?" he called.

"I'm alright, it wasn't from in here," she responded.

Arin said, "I think that was just an intimidation method."

"Maybe, just stay on your toes," Mark said, Arin's grip tightening on the iron bar. Their eyes flicked around the room, trying to take in every minute detail, seeing if they could detect even the faintest movement. None came.

"Alright, this is getting seriously fucking creepy," Arin whispered.

"You don't have to tell me," Mark replied, jumping when a small figurine on a table in the corner exploded. He pouted, "Aw, I liked that one..."

"This is not the time," Arin hissed, trying to figure out what had caused it. He frowned, getting a sudden foreboding feeling. He swallowed, slowly looking up, seeing a pair of purple glowing eyes in a shadowy silhouette staring at him from the ceiling. 

A glistening white smile broke out in the shadow's face, Jack saying, "Top'o the mornin' to ya," before lunging, clawed hands outstretched. 

Arin turned, managing to hook an arm around Mark and yank him down, making Jack overshoot the pair of them. Jack landed on his hands, shoving off and doing a flip to land back on his feet, immediately swiping at Mark, who rolled out of the way and into a stand. Arin rolled the opposite direction, swinging his iron bar into Jack's leg. "Agh! Mother _fucker_ ," Jack snapped, hopping back on one leg to get out of Arin's reach. "Good thing I'm wearin' pants, or that'd've burned like ever lovin' hell."

"Yeah, sorry, dude," Arin said as he stood.

Mark glanced briefly to Arin in thanks before saying, "Sean, please."

Jack narrowed his eyes at him, thrown off by the use of his real name. "Don't be tryin' to go earnin' any sympathy from me, you bastard," he growled. 

"I'm not, I just want you to hear me out."

"Good luck--he warned us you might try ta pull this shit. Well it ain't gonna work, not on me," Jack said through grit teeth. As he talked, Arin slowly tried to make his way to the kitchen, where he could hear Suzy in a scuffle, presumably with a dragon.

"Brian is the one manipulating you, though I suspect he said I'd say that, too," Mark said calmly. "Just give me the chance to-"

"No!" Jack snapped, turning into a wisp of shadows and disappearing through a vent in the wall. Arin took the chance to run to the kitchen, but he didn't get far before being tripped by an unseen object. He landed hard, rolling in preparation to fight but not seeing anyone. 

Arin called, "Suzy, what's happening?"

"I've got it under control, focus!" she replied, Arin hearing the sound of breaking glass and a yelp that came from the dragon. He frowned, wondering about the location of the second dragon, and more importantly, Dan. Arin stood slowly, Mark calling, "Duck!" 

Arin barely reacted in time, dropping back to the ground as a sword swung right where his torso had been a moment ago. He heard the rush of an object flying through the air, Jack getting knocked back by a crystal ball. Arin started army crawling forward, Mark barking, "Get upstairs! Someone's probably waiting out the front door." 

Arin nodded and sprinted for the stairwell, wincing when he heard the cracking of wood, which either indicated the floor was broken or someone had been thrown into the wall. He high tailed it for the summoning room, hoping he could find extra salt or other ingredients that would help during this siege. He tossed the door ajar, running in and kneeling down in front of the supply chest Mark kept. As he opened the trunk, his heart nearly stopped when he heard the door shut and lock, Dan standing behind it in his human guise.

Dan said, "You know, it's rather foolish to run off alone."

Arin swallowed and slowly stood, leaving the chest open as he turned. "Dan," he said, hating that he felt afraid.

The corner of Dan's mouth tugged into a frown, "I underestimated Brian when he said you'd put on a good act."

Arin steeled himself, straightening and saying, "We haven't known each other very long, but...damn it, Dan," he choked out, having to force himself to calm down so he could continue. "Why'd we agree to this...?"

Dan slowly walked forward, like a wolf approaching a cornered deer, "Fine, I'll humor you, in your last moments. Agree to what?"

"To let Brian take you," Arin said. "Who the fuck knows what he did to you while you were gone? I never should've agreed...fuck," he sighed, "it's too late now."

Dan narrowed his eyes, which slowly turned black. "Is that all you have to say? It's a pretty weak excuse."

"I know," Arin mumbled. 

Dan looked uncomfortable, saying, "If that's all you can come up with, we might as well get this over with," before drawing a hand back, long claws forming on his fingers. Arin tensed but didn't otherwise react, Dan saying, "Aren't you going to do _anything_ to stop me?"

Arin frowned, glancing away and muttering, "You like lavender scented candles."

Dan blinked, "Y...what?"

"When we first met, the book, it said you liked cherry blossom candles, but...you said you prefer lavender. And you enjoy sunlight. And sometimes you sing."

Dan stood frozen, pursing his lips and saying, "You could've researched that. Hell, Holly might've told you that."

"Does she know your real name is Leigh?" Arin asked quietly.

Dan's hand slowly dropped, "How did..."

"You told me, because you trust me. And I trust you, Dan. I do," Arin said. "And I know you know something's not right here. Please, Dan--Leigh, hear me out."

Dan hesitated, at length saying, "You have thirty seconds."

"I can work with that. I summoned you like...two weeks ago, right? I lose track of time. Anyway, I summoned you on accident and you took mercy on me, thank god for that, and we've been trying to thwart Brian's plans to enslave humanity or some shit, we don't really know what his motives are. And recently we made a deal with him to hand you and Jack over if he'd agree to leave us alone because he's wanted you on his side since day one. We thought it'd give us time to plan, but it's just sucked balls since he took you because I've been worrying and...the point is...I don't want to hurt you, Danny." He hesitated a split second longer before adding, "I love you."

Dan had progressively been frowning further as Arin went on, not responding but not making a move to attack, either. He opened his mouth to reply before there was a booming sound that shook the house, Dan looking as confused as Arin was. Dan grit his teeth, groaning and muttering something under his breath before wrenching the door open, breaking the lock in the process, and running down the stairs, shifting to his demon form as he went. 

Arin bolted after him, taking the stairs two at a time and almost running into Dan, who'd stopped at the foot of the stairs, having a view of Kevin standing in the front doorway. Kevin's eyes were blazing a fiery orange like coals, the front door smashed against the far wall. Barry stood behind him, looking smug, holding some sort of magic leash around the neck of the second dragon, which was trying to escape futilely.

Kevin said, "Nobody move," with a power backing his tone that forced every inhabitant of the room to still. Neither Dan nor Arin could move, regardless. Neither had known Kevin was a demon--much less, a tier five.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh shiiiiiiiiiit who saw that coming?


	25. Heartless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eeyy kingdom hearts ref in this chapter title :3

Kevin locked eyes with the inhabitants of each person in the room in turn. When his eyes met Arin's, a chill ran down his spine, one he should've felt when he'd first met Kevin but never could have detected. Kevin raised a silent hand, everyone tensing, fearing he might be about to strike them all down with one fell swoop. However, the house simply started rebuilding itself around them. 

Barry and Kevin stepped inside, moving around the front door as it reattached itself to its hinges. Glass that had been broken was reassembled and resealed back into place. Wood that had splintered reconstructed itself, each piece of mulch binding back to its original position in planks of wood and furniture. Even Mark's favorite statue, the green eyeball that Jack had taken a liking to at a market once, wasn't overlooked. By the time the spell had completed itself, it looked like the house had never been touched.

Kevin lowered his hand, saying, "Sit." The people in the room scattered to do so. Even the dragon, which Barry still had safely on a leash, lay down at the hunter's feet. "I'll allow ten minutes for questions," he said, stepping back.

Everyone glanced at one another. They were all somewhat afraid to speak, but also didn't want to risk talking over one another. Mark was the first to break the deafening silence, "Where are Holly and Ross?"

"Told to stand guard outside," Kevin replied calmly. "Next?"

"You're a demon?" Arin asked.

"Obviously. Next."

"Who's side are you on?"

"Excuse me?" Kevin raised a brow.

Arin frowned, his hands clenching the couch cushion he was seated on, "If you've been a tier five this whole time, how do we know we can trust you?"

"If I had intents like Brian, you'd all be dead already," Kevin said simply. "However, I'm not here to fight his war, nor am I necessarily here to protect you."

"That's somehow not very comforting," Arin muttered.

"Then you shouldn't have asked. And maybe I should've allowed less time for questions," Kevin sighed.

Dan stood, "Do you know Brian's intentions?"

Kevin frowned, "I thought he'd have explained them to you."

"He did, but I meant...do you know about us? If he's using us or...whatever the case is?"

Kevin studied him silently a moment. He opened his mouth to reply, but a new yet familiar voice answered coldly instead, "If you want something done right..."

The chain leash holding Brian's dragon snapped, the beast whining and turning into golden dust that trailed away under the door. Kevin said, "It's rude to interrupt people when they're having a meeting."

The front door opened, Holly and Ross being tossed rather unceremoniously inside, their hands bound by some writhing black cords of an unknown material. Brian stepped in behind them, saying, "It's also rude to keep secrets, but people do it anyway."

"Why are you here?" Kevin asked.

"Why are you?" Brian countered. "Why help these pitiful creatures? They don't deserve your kindness; surely they've done nothing for you."

"What they've done for me isn't your concern. And for what it's worth, most demons don't deserve any kindness, either."

"I'd drink to that, but alas, I don't have any wine," Brian said thoughtfully, rubbing the scruff on his jaw.

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave, now."

"You'll have to come with me," Brian said flatly. "You know there's no risk in that. I only wish to talk in private."

Kevin glanced to Barry, asking, "How long will you keep me?"

"That depends how long you're willing to stay. I very well can't keep another tier five captive," Brian shrugged.

"And the mission you've sent these two on will be put on hold while I'm gone?" Kevin said pointedly, gesturing to Jack and Dan.

Brian looked between the two demons, sighing, "I suppose so."

"Alright then, a chat couldn't hurt," Kevin straightened. "Shall we?"

"Let's," Brian smiled, holding out a hand. Kevin took it, and the two disappeared in a wisp of smoke, along with the two dragons, the coils binding Ross and Holly's wrists melting away, as well.

The room remained still. They could practically hear one another's heartbeats. Barry startled them all by clapping his hands together, saying, "Welp, I'm gonna go make sure the perimeter defenses got tuned up," before quickly fleeing from the awkwardness creeping into the room. 

Jack's hands slowly tensed into fists, snapping, "Fuckitall," and extending claws from his fingers as he stood.

Dan leaped across the room to grab his wrist, "Jack, he said forget it."

"I didn't buy it," Jack growled, his eyes glowing, "no way he wants us to leave this job unfinished. And I was gettin' sick of this one tryin' to manipulate me, anyway," he glared at Mark, who looked a little stung by the comment.

Dan frowned, his eyes flicking to Arin briefly, "With another tier five in the mix, things might change. What if he wants them alive?"

"I don't," Jack growled, baring his fangs, "and why are you tryin' so hard ta stop me? Help me out, here!"

Dan's skin turned blue, his arms doubling to help hold Jack at bay, "You need to calm down."

Arin found himself smiling, proud of Dan for sticking up for them, even though he was uncertain about the whole situation now. "Thanks, Dan."

Dan turned his head to glare at Arin, wiping the grin from Arin's face, "Don't thank me just yet."

Jack looked between Dan and Arin, saying, "Aw, shite, he tried manipulatin' you, too! It _worked_ , didn't it?!"

"No, Jack, he did try, but-"

"Why else would you be against me in this?" Jack wrenched his arms out of Dan's grip, Dan stepping back and crouching to a better defensive position. Jack also moved back, snarling, "You're no use to Brian if you're so weak willed."

Mark stood, "Everyone, please, calm down. Sean, you're badly outnumbered, please don't try anything stupid." 

Jack's lips pursed, pausing to look around. He hated to admit Mark was right, but he retracted his claws. 

Mark said, "Thank you," evenly, gesturing to Holly, who slowly lowered her glowing hands. "Now that we're all relatively settled, I suggest I put on a spot of tea. If we can all avoid killing each other or breaking my things for five minutes, I'll be back with the kettle for us all to enjoy." He steadily backed his way out of the room, glad not to hear anything crash or break behind him.

Ross said, "Uh...Holly, wanna help Barry outside?"

"Sure," she agreed, the feathers on her wings smoothing down from when they'd ruffled up in fear that she'd have to fight Jack. Jack huffed as he sat down in midair, slowly morphing to his human state. He looked grumpy, but didn't say anything.

After another minute of silence, Dan said, "Arin, could I see you upstairs?"

Arin blinked, thinking he probably shouldn't go off alone with Dan but saying, "Sure thing," as he'd do anything to earn back Dan's trust.

Jack immediately looked suspicious but made no move to stop them, Arin following Dan up to Mark's bedroom. Arin shut the door behind them, figuring Dan wanted the privacy anyway. Dan looked mildly uncomfortable, so Arin said, "What's up, man?"

Dan shifted his weight back and forth on his feet, at length replying, "I don't know which way is up, anymore," as he sat on Mark's bed. He set his face in his hands, rubbing his temples, "I can't keep track of time, my head hurts, I don't know who to believe--hell, I don't even know if I can trust myself."

Arin cautiously approached the demon, sitting next to him but leaving a comfortable distance, "I trust you."

"You said that before. Why?"

"Because you didn't kill me when we first met, and...I don't think you'll kill me, now, either. You said you weren't the type to kill someone for making a stupid mistake."

"What mistake?" Dan raised a brow.

"Well, for one, missing a sigil of sealing and saying the wrong word during the summoning incantation," Arin chortled, remembering it fondly, in particular, Dan's laughter at the time. "But I guess for falling for a demon, too."

Dan grinned a little at that, "Yeah, those are pretty stupid."

Arin smiled, glad to see Dan perking up a bit, "I guess I couldn't help myself."

Dan chuckled, "You know what else is stupid?"

"What?" Arin asked, abruptly being knocked over, his back hitting the mattress, Dan's hand clasping around his throat.

"You are," Dan said coldly, his pupils dilating until his eyes had melted black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am so sorry to leave this here but as a fair warning i probably won't have the time to write the next chapter for another couple days, i'm going to have a very busy schedule which is why i chose to write this now and quit putting it off! who knows, i may find time to update sooner than i expect but don't get your hopes up DX


	26. Choosing Sides

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> couple quick thingymajigs: i'm so so grateful and happy everyone's enjoying the story, but i'm going to try to wrap things up soon because i hate to drag it out too long and i have other things i want to write, leading me into my next point. i'm probably going to end up writing either a much darker anti/darkiplier fic next, or a vampire/hunter au for arin and dan bc why the hell not. feedback on which y'all would like to read more would be appreciated X3 i could try to write both at the same time but that would just make the both of them go slower. anywho enjoy!

Arin felt like his heart was trying to hammer its way out of his chest. His breathing would have picked up, had Dan not been cutting off his airway. Arin struggled, trying to pry Dan's hand away, but Dan grew his two extra arms to help pin him. Arin shut his eyes, trying to remain calm as Dan chuckled darkly, "How adorably gullible you were. You'd were practically eating out of the palm of my hand. I'll tell your friends you died in a more honorable way."

Arin managed to choke out, "I'm...sorry."

"What?" Dan's expression scrunched into confusion before Arin shimmied his knees up under Dan's stomach. As one of Dan's hands released Arin's arm to try to stop his leg, Arin quickly moved his hand up and gripped Dan's shoulder, concentrating and feeling a magic pulse activate, jolting Dan away with a yelp. Dan growled, clutching at his shoulder, snarling, "What did you do?"

Arin was too busy panting for breath, rubbing at his throat, muttering, "That's going to leave a suspiciously kinky bruise..."

Dan bared his teeth, which turned into fangs, Arin having enough time to say, "Shit-" before Dan lunged, tackling Arin again even as he rolled to evade the rogue demon. Arin frowned, feeling Dan grab one of his arms and his hair. Arin twisted to grab Dan's forearm, creating another shock of defensive magic that made Dan tear his hand away. Arin jumped off the bed, Dan also rolling off the mattress into a stand as he shook out his arm.

Arin explained, "It's a new defensive technique I got from Jon's book. You remember that? You went with me to visit my friend Jon's magic shop and I got a book on controlling demons. I never thought I'd have to use it on you, though. And I'm sorry."

Dan considered that with narrowed eyes as he circled to stand closer to the wizard, growling, "Bullshit," before holding his hands together, pulling them apart and conjuring the whips Arin had only seen one other time.

"Oh fuck," Arin mumbled, as Dan was blocking his way to the door. He didn't have the proper skill to conjure any sort of shield, leaving one other option. He turned to the window, running to it and ramming his shoulder into the glass panes. He immediately regretted his decision as he only ended up with a throbbing shoulder, the glass not breaking. "Agh, fucking shit god damned reinforcement spells," he grumbled, rubbing his shoulder.

Dan blinked slowly at him before bursting into laughter, which Arin would have found pleasant had Dan not been trying to kill him. "Well," Dan grinned, straightening and cracking one of the whips, "you can tell your friend Mark he did a good job with the perimeter defenses."

"Thank you," Mark said from the doorway, holding a hand out to him, Dan's body going rigid as he shut his eyes. Dan dropped his whips, his mouth opening in a silent scream of pain that brought him to his knees as Mark continued, "And I'd appreciate it if you not try to kill my friend."

Arin sighed, "Thanks, dude," as he continued massaging his shoulder, Dan collapsing to the ground when Mark released the magic bond. Dan panted and trembled, having just felt like Arin's electric shock spell had been increased tenfold in voltage throughout his entire body. 

"No problem. I'm sorry, Dan," Mark said, walking over to the demon and gently placing a hand on his shoulder. Dan wrenched himself away, even though Mark hadn't used another shot of magic. Dan refused to meet his gaze, so Mark simply continued, "The tea is ready. You should both come have some."

Dan pursed his lips, standing slowly and glaring at the more experienced wizard. Mark ignored the look, checking over Arin and frowning at the marks already forming on his neck but not saying anything. He put a hand on Arin's back, leading him downstairs, Dan following grudgingly. 

Arin asked, "How'd you know we were upstairs?"

"Suzy told me," Mark said, "and I hurried up when I heard you smack into my window."

"Yeah, well," Arin rubbed his neck again, Dan following with his four hands shoved in his pockets, an angry pout on his face.

As they entered the living room, Jack asked, "How'd it go?" with a hearty helping of sarcasm.

"Fuck off, it was closer than you got," Dan grumbled, leaning against the wall.

"Well sorry for not havin' the patience for tact," Jack retorted. 

"Or the intelligence to get your target off alone," Dan said with a pointed look to Arin, who looked away sheepishly.

"It don't matter now, does it? Because now when he gets back, he's just gonna be fuckin' pissed all to hell that we didn't get the job done."

"If he wants them dead that bad, he can do it himself, as this rate," Dan crossed his arms.

Jack snorted, "Wouldn't that be somethin'?"

Mark said, "Come on, all we have to do is survive one another for a couple more minutes while Kevin and Brian take care of business. Until then, we can be civilized people," as he handed a mug of tea with extra sugar to Dan, handing another to Arin. Arin nodded in thanks and took a drink, the warm tea soothing on his sore throat. 

The next few minutes were tense, Barry, Holly, and Ross all opting to stay outside. Suzy busied herself with sorting through the vials she was carrying, double checking her inventory. Arin desperately wanted to say something to Dan but got the distinct impression Dan wouldn't be in the mood, nor the right state of mind, to listen. 

They looked up when the sound of a gentle rush of air entered the room, Kevin appearing with no sign of Brian. He looked to be deep in thought, not focusing on any in the room but saying, "Brian explained the nature of the memory spell he used to me. I wouldn't be able to undo it without causing permanent memory damage or loss."

Dan looked both surprised and upset, Jack looking more angry than anything while Arin and Mark looked crestfallen at the news. Kevin continued, "However, it isn't irreversible."

Dan said, "So...he did do something to our memories," before looking to Arin, his eyes settling on the dark hand print on the human's neck, guilt twisting in his gut. 

Kevin nodded, "With enough exposure, and enough time, you should be able to unlock the old memories on your own."

Jack rubbed his eyes with a hand, "This is one fuckin' hell of a day."

"No shit," Dan said, looking to the tier five, "but...you're sure Brian wasn't lying? I mean, if he lied to us..."

"He couldn't deceive me so easily," Kevin responded. "It may be possible to unlock your memories myself, but it would take hours, if not days. The mind is a complex organism. And now that Brian's bequeathed that information to me, he will be springing his own plan into action much sooner, and time is now no longer a luxury you have."

Mark asked, "What _is_ his plan?" as he leaned forward.

Kevin paused before responding, "He didn't tell me directly, but it doesn't take a genius to deduce he means to strike down as many magic users as possible. He'll likely lure them places in groups, calling fake emergencies that would require great numbers of wizards and witches to resolve. Once there, they'll be ambushed and brought down. He probably also means to target libraries, magic shops, museums--any building that might house any shreds of information regarding demon lore. He wants to bring about an age of demons ruling themselves."

"Wait, you said magic shops. Jon will be in danger," Arin stood.

Mark said, "We'll send Holly ahead to warn him. They already told him to prepare, so he won't be helpless."

Suzy said, "I have a scrying orb I can use to contact my sister and some friends; they can try to spread the word to be wary of calls to sudden emergency meetings."

"I would do so," Kevin nodded. "Wizards and demons, whether Brian likes it or not, coexist in a symbiotic relationship. Demons feed off the magical energies produced by wizards, and in return wizards can call upon us to help them utilize their magic, or to focus and hone it. Without wizards, demons won't be able to survive."

Arin turned to Dan, approaching him confidently. He asked, "Will you help us?"

Dan studied him, looking to Jack to see how his partner was handling the news. Jack shrugged, "Ah, fuck it. I don't care who I'm fightin' as long as I get a few good punches in."

Dan waited a moment longer before looking back to Arin, his usual lopsided grin on his face, "Guess we're in."


	27. Catching Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so y'all are aware, i think i've settled on writing the dark/anti fic next, thanks to a friend of mine. i may or may not start that one before this one is finished, so i'll try to keep you updated as to when the first chapter of the new fic will be posted!

The majority of the people in Mark's house had dispersed. Kevin suggested that Arin and Dan, along with Mark and Jack, be left alone for a few minutes while the others prepared in order to try to jog some of the demons' memories. Suzy hadn't been terribly fond of the idea, but Kevin said he'd stay downstairs while the two pairs talked things over in Mark's upstairs bedrooms. Ross and Holly had run off to Jon's shop to help defend it while Barry stood guard with Suzy outside. 

Mark led Jack into his bedroom, leaving the summoning room to Dan and Arin. Jack grumbled, "I don't see the point in tryin'a force this shit on us. If it's gonna take awhile anyway, wouldn't our time be better spent plannin'?"

"Probably, but trusting one another is a huge part of being able to work as a unit," Mark pointed out as he sat on the bed. "Therefore, we should try to figure out if there will be a way to bring some of your memories back faster. At least enough of them to convince you Kevin wasn't lying."

Jack frowned, "It's all suspicious as fuck, you know? I just...I'm fuckin' confused."

"And you have every right to be," Mark said calmly, patting the bed next to himself in invitation.

Jack looked to the gesture and hesitated. He finally groaned and walked over, plopping himself next to Mark with a huff. Mark chuckled, "You acted really similarly when I first summoned you."

"Really?" Jack raised a brow. "Somehow I ain't surprised."

Mark grinned, "Yeah, really. You appeared with your eyes black with blazing purple irises. I'd heard you were temperamental, even for a demon, but that first impression didn't do it justice. You were practically frothing at the mouth until I surprised you by offering you tea."

"Oh? And how'd I take to that?" Jack asked, blinking when he suddenly recalled what he'd said. He spoke at the same time Mark answered, "I'd rather you stick it up your arse."

Mark looked surprised, "You remember?"

"I don't..." Jack frowned, looking away, "I don't know, a little? Just...a brief flash," he set a hand on his head. "Not enough to be fully convincin'."

"Then let's keep pushing it," Mark said, setting a hand on Jack's knee. Jack started to pull away, but felt oddly against doing so. Mark's hand settled there was in some way comfortingly familiar. Mark continued, "After you'd calmed down, I offered to let you out of your pentagram. You said I must be out of my damned mind. I said-"

"Every summoner is," Jack mumbled, looking back to him.

Mark held his gaze gently, "And the crazier part is what happened a couple months after that."

"What?" Jack asked, scrunching his face when Mark brushed a longer lock of green hair from his eyes. 

"I fell in love with you. I fell in love with the way your accent got stronger when you were mad. I fell for the way you snored in your sleep when you'd crash on my couch, and for the way you always leave a mess of food around your plate no matter what you eat. And I vowed to myself that I'd never summon any other demon as long as I lived, because you were the only one that mattered."

Jack felt himself blushing, shortly growing angry with himself for doing so. He looked away, shutting his eyes and relaxing as he felt vague, ghostly memories of long past embraces and tender kisses. As they sat in silence, the foggy figure in the memories began to shape itself, distinctly revealing a shock of red hair and warm, brown eyes. Jack opened his eyes again, his gaze snapping back to Mark, who was waiting patiently.

Jack leapt, Mark tensing and preparing to use defensive magic to repel him, until he realized Jack was clutching him in a hug. "Mark," Jack mumbled into his chest, "fuck, god damnit, I'm so stupid, I could've killed...shit," he held on tighter.

Mark said, "Hey, it's not your fault," as he began rubbing Jack's back, "it's alright, Sean. I don't blame you."

"I'm sorry," Jack said anyway, his breath hitching, "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," Mark sighed, rubbing soothing circles into his back, "you'll be back to your old self in no time."

~~~

Arin felt increasingly awkward ever since the echo of Dan shutting the door had faded from the room. Dan was no better off, breaking the silence by saying, "Um. I'm ah...sorry about the uh," gesturing to his own neck.

"Hey," Arin chuckled halfheartedly, "don't mention it. I mean, I could be dead."

"Yeah, I suppose," Dan replied, looking away and rubbing his arm.

Arin dealt with the silence for a few more moments before saying, "Alright, we can't just stand here. Wanna make out or something?"

"What?" Dan asked incredulously, not having expected him to jump the gun that fast.

"Well we can't just wait for the memories to pop back on their own, right? Shouldn't we, I dunno, talk about our feelings or like...reenact some stuff?"

"I mean, I guess, but you really want to after all that?" Dan threw his hand back to signify the other room. 

"Dude, with you? Literally anytime. There's no bad time," Arin smirked.

"I tried to kill you less than thirty minutes ago," Dan said flatly.

"And now you've realized that was a mistake and we can move on. And maybe add more bruises into the mix," Arin wiggled a brow.

Dan slapped a hand to his forehead, muttering, "Oh my god you're such an idiot."

"But I'm _your_ idiot!" Arin grinned. "Come on, man, whaddya say?"

Dan slowly smirked before saying, "I say young man, there's no need to feel sass. Young man, stick your hand in my ass."

Arin snorted, starting to laugh, "Okay, maybe not like, _that_ soon off the bat."

Dan giggled, Arin smiling at the sound. "So, you're sure about this?"

"Worth a shot," Arin shrugged.

Dan slowly started walking towards him, "You really, really mean it?"

"I do."

"Really?"

"Quit fuckin' around and just do it," Arin said, "I don't care if you bite."

Dan raised a brow, "You're a kinky little slut, aren't you?"

Arin snorted, "The kinkiest. Just c'mere," he said before putting his hand behind Dan's head, gently pulling them together into a brief kiss.

Dan half shut his eyes, blinking when he suddenly thought of another kiss not too long ago. A kiss he never thought would happen, could happen, because the one he'd hoped it'd come from would never be able to love him back. And when it had, it had been the best feeling in the world--like he was being fully accepted for what he was. And Dan wanted to feel it again.

He reciprocated by mirroring Arin's movement, sliding a hand through Arin's hair to the back of his head, bringing their lips together again, longer this time. As they kissed, he shut his eyes, unlocking another shared moment, another kiss that made him feel whole. He cupped Arin's jaw as he gingerly kissed him again, their lips locking together in perfect fashion, Dan tracing his tongue along Arin's lower lip and finding he loved the taste, trying to commit it to memory. He felt Arin's hand on his waist, resting his forehead against the wizard's.

Arin said, "I uh...take it you remember a few things?"

Dan grinned, "I'll never forget them again," before tugging him into another kiss, feeling Arin back him up until Dan's back hit the door. Dan was hardly fazed, too busy focusing on their mouths moving together again, humming softly and practically melting against the wall. 

Arin broke it off at length, saying, "We've gotta be careful, before we get carried away or...something."

"Yeah, that would be a damn shame," Dan said, already unbuttoning his shirt.

"Oh. **Oh** ," Arin responded eloquently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anyone catch that bloodborne ref? if you havent watched these dorks play bloodborne i highly recommend it


	28. A Spark of Hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for those who are interested--i'm going to try to write the first chapter of the anti/dark fic tomorrow (that's feb. 5) night at some point just to see what sort of feedback i'll be getting for it, just don't expect anything until later on in the day particularly if you don't happen to be in the same time zone as me in which case i humbly apologize X3

Dan smirked, "What, too soon? I thought no time was a bad time."

Arin blinked, stuttering, "Uh...well, um. I mean."

Dan giggled, the magical sound calming Arin's nerves as Dan purred, "Come here," as he wrapped a hand behind Arin's hips, settling a hand on the small of his back and pulling their waists together. He shrugged his now-unbuttoned shirt off, letting it slide down the wall behind him to the floor, tilting his head to kiss Arin again. Arin hummed, responding by nibbling Dan's lip. 

Dan growled softly, very much aroused, before taking a hold of Arin's wrist. With a gentle push and a turn, Dan placed himself in front of Arin, Arin's back now against the wall beside the door. Dan leaned to kiss the side of Arin's neck, Arin tilting his head to give the demon an easier reach. Arin bit his lip as Dan traced his tongue along the sensitive skin, a small gasp escaping his throat when Dan nipped a patch of skin, kissing it to soothe it right after. Dan smirked at the sound, straightening his head to say, "That too much for you?"

"Please," Arin scoffed, shimmying his own shirt off, shortly sliding his hand into Dan's hair to pull their heads back together for another kiss. Dan set a hand on Arin's shoulder, replacing his hand behind Arin's back, shutting his eyes again and trying to memorize everything from the way Arin's lips moved to the curves of his stomach to every hair on his head. 

Dan moved to bite Arin's earlobe, tugging at it with his teeth before saying in a soft, low voice, "I want to commit every detail of your body to memory." He pushed his hips forward again to emphasize, "Every. Detail," as he pulled his head back, his eyes now pitch black.

Arin swallowed, scared yet also incredibly horny, about to reply before the door opened to Jack saying, "You boys ready to-OH god fookin' hell," and quickly shutting the door again. 

Dan jumped back when the door had opened, far too late to prevent Jack from seeing anything. Arin had yelped, his hand now covering his mouth. The two remained frozen a moment before they turned to lock eyes, both bursting into laughter. Dan sank to the floor, gasping for breath and tearing up. Arin laughed until he started coughing, even that not able to stop him guffawing over Jack's expression of surprised disgust. When Arin finally started settling down, he knelt by the lanky demon, who had been reduced to laying on the floor.

Arin rubbed Dan's side, grinning, "Well, I guess we know Jack's weakness."

"Talk about...ruining the moment," Dan said between chuckles that varied in intensity. "Hooo. I can't believe that just happened."

"Neither can I," Arin said, blushing as he ran a hand through his hair. "We should...probably put our shirts back on though."

"Fuck, you're probably right. I didn't scare you, did I?"

"Uh...quite the opposite. But that is something to experiment with some other time."

Dan smirked, "I'll keep it in mind," as he stood. Arin straightened up with him, stooping to grab his shirt and feeling Dan slap his ass. 

"Hey, hands off the cheeks," Arin said with a playful smile, wiggling his butt in Dan's direction.

"I can't help myself. They're like...magnetizing to my hands," Dan replied, suddenly acting as though his hands had an actual force pulling them towards Arin's ass, grabbing his butt again.

Arin snorted, "Dude, come on. We have to be professional in a minute."

"We don't have to be professional at anything," Dan retorted. "Mark and Jack will probably be no better."

Arin rolled his eyes, pulling his shirt back over his head. "Look man, we can pick it up later, I promise. I look forward to it. All we have to do is, y'know, not die until then."

"Easier said than done," Dan mumbled, the gravity of the situation finally sinking in.

Arin frowned, walking back up to Dan as the demon buttoned his shirt, "Hey, we're gonna be alright. I have you to protect my glorious asscheeks."

"That you do," Dan grinned. "And I have you to protect my gorgeous locks of hair."

"Of course you do," Arin ruffled Dan's head.

Dan batted his hand away, "Whatever happens, just swear you'll make it out alive."

"Of course. You, too."

"Of course."

The pair readied themselves before heading back downstairs, Kevin trying not to look exasperated as they reached the main floor. Jack and Mark were already seated, waiting for them to arrive. Kevin said, "Everything's taken care of, then?"

"Pretty much," Arin rubbed his neck, "I mean, I'm pretty sure he trusts me again."

Dan nodded, "I do. What's the plan?"

Kevin said, "The plan is to hit Brian with everything we have. But we can't make a move against him while he's surrounded by his cronies."

Arin said, "We draw him out?"

"Precisely," Kevin nodded. "He won't trust Dan and Jack, regardless of how good you two can act. Besides, it'd be foolish to send you into the demon realm after him alone. He'd have you captured for sure. I doubt he would bother making a personal appearance to most of the ambushes; however, were he to want to witness any downfall, it'd be the destruction of this house."

Mark chuckled halfheartedly, "I guess I shouldn't have offered it as a safe haven, huh?" Jack frowned, setting a hand on Mark's shoulder.

"He won't take chances," Kevin continued. "He'll likely send a good chunk of his army to do it for him. But I think he'll be here."

Mark said, "So the issue becomes drawing him aside."

"With any luck, if his followers see me here, they'll flee if they're smart."

Dan asked, "So...you're going to stay to help us?"

Kevin steepled his fingers in his lap, "Brian's grown too...obsessed. He's become too egotistical, convinced his plan is flawless. He's dangerous to more than just humans at this point."

Jack growled, "I still want at least one good punch in before you take over."

"I admire your enthusiasm. But I'm afraid you might have to wait to punch him until he's weakened. If he expects me to be here, he'll almost certainly send backup. In that case, I may be more useful to the lot of you holding off his henchmen. He may be a tier five, but your team greatly outnumbers him. And you've all got fighting spirits."

"You think we have a good shot?" Arin asked.

Kevin half-smiled and gave a curt nod, "I do. You share a bond with one another unlike any other team of magicians and demons I've ever seen."

They all straightened at the praise, Dan saying, "We can handle Brian. You just take care of the rest."

Kevin nodded, looking to the door when it opened, Barry rushing in. "Kevin, we need you outside. It's starting."

Kevin lost all expression of joy, standing and immediately walking to the door. The others exchanged glances, Mark saying, "Well, if we don't make it out of this, I was glad to have spent the last few weeks with all of you."

Jack whacked Mark's shoulder, "Shut up. We will make it outta this." He pulled Mark into a tight hug, Arin and Dan doing the same.

Arin mumbled, "Don't leave my side again."

"Never," Dan replied, giving him a final squeeze before the four of them walked outside.

The sky was darkened by thick clouds. An orange glow like fire illuminated them, the same glow contouring the rolling edges of the wall of fog closing in on the house from both sides of the street. Suzy was standing by Barry, tossing a vial into the air and catching it again repeatedly, the orange light glimmering in her eye in a suitably wicked fashion. Kevin was standing in front of both of them, looking off into the fog. 

Dark silhouettes started approaching through the mist, their outlines hazy. As they grew closer, it became utterly apparent none of them were human, most sporting extra limbs, tails, horns, or wings. A chuckle rippled through the air, easily recognizable as Brian's, "The last stand of the noble wizards on their brave quest to stop me, along with their foolish companions. How dare you take for yourself the title of tier five."

Kevin said, "I could say the same, but I won't waste my breath," as he held a hand out, a metal bow appearing in his hand. Using his other hand, he made a sweeping motion, nocking an arrow that he conjured, drawing it back in preparation. 

"In that case, I think we can skip the formalities, don't you?" Brian asked, his silhouette appearing floating above the rest. Behind him, a much larger shadow was approaching, the shape peering at them through golden eyes. "It was nice meeting all of you," he added, the beast behind him growling, rumbling the air with its intensity. 

Jack narrowed his eyes and bared his teeth, his skin turning green as his third eye opened on his forehead. Dan frowned, glancing to Arin and nodding confidently before turning blue and growing out his extra arms, his gaze returning to focus on Brian. "See you on the other side," Dan muttered.

"I'd better," Arin replied, just before the dragon behind Brian roared a stream of fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if anyone likes fanart, the shirtless kiss at the beginning of this chapter was based on this work by user Shuploc on DeviantArt and Tumblr:
> 
> http://68.media.tumblr.com/2345123c60edabd8ae082144e2e1161a/tumblr_o317xloO8j1s0jq75o3_r1_1280.jpg
> 
> and yes, all her art is THAT GOOD. and she's 19 YO check her out give her some love from me


	29. And A Revolution Shall Ignite

Hell broke loose.

 _Fuck me_ , were Arin's first thoughts, Kevin dropping the arrow to hold up a hand, a glimmering, white, translucent bubble appearing around their group. When the flames hit it, they spread around it, engulfing them in a ball of fire. Kevin levitated the arrow back to his hand, drawing it back and firing it through his shield into the dragon's eye. The dragon screeched and reared up, the bubble dissipating as Kevin shouted, "Go, go!"

The world became a blinding blur of motion, a deafening cacophony of sound. Demons poured in from all sides. Jack shouted, "Bring it on, bitches!" as he conjured up twin scimitars, running at the nearest demon and starting to slice his way through the crowd.

Mark was right behind him, using pulses of magic to keep the demons coming at Jack from his blind spots at bay. Arin barely registered him yelling, "Arin, Dan, find Brian, lead him off!" as he and Jack were lost among the chaos.

Dan set a hand on Arin's shoulder, helping him to focus, "We can do this." Arin nodded, the two running back into the house. Dan had to punch a demon that crashed his way through the window, Dan stomping on his groin for good measure. Arin started for the stairs, skidding to a halt when a demon with the lower body of a snake slithered its way down the stairs. The demon hissed at him, a forked tongue flicking out between two needle like fangs. Arin reacted on instinct, reaching into his pocket and throwing a handful of salt. The salt stung the snake, the creature reeling back as Arin held out the same hand. 

The snake thrashed, Arin concentrating as much energy as he could into the demon repulsion spell he'd worked on prior to getting Dan's memory back. Dan ran up behind him, saying, "That's enough, come on," as he ran up the stairs, "we have to get to the attic to get to the roof."

Arin took mercy, running around the still-writhing snake and having to jump to avoid getting tripped by his long tail. Arin took the stairs two at a time, heart racing. Dan didn't even need to jump to reach the trap door in the ceiling to access the ladder to the attic. They scrambled their way up, Dan going first to ensure there were no demons waiting.

The attic was quiet, Arin sneezing from the dust. In doing so, the dust swirled around an almost invisible figure in a corner, hidden by using a solid black cloak. "Shit-" Arin started, Dan turning as the figure held out a pale hand from inside the robes. Arin found he couldn't move, the spell breaking when Dan used a whip to lasso the demon's wrist, pulling him forward. Arin shook it off, using one of his own spells to paralyze the figure.

"Nicely done," Dan commented, looking up to the orange light filtering through the skylight.

Arin said, "Dan, wait."

"What? They need us, we don't have time for-"

"I think we should do this together."

"We are doing this together," Dan replied, confused.

"No, like," Arin stepped forward, "as one."

It took a minute before Dan realized what Arin meant. He chuckled briefly, "I suppose it couldn't hurt to try, right? Maybe...it'll make us stronger."

"It's do or die anyway right now, so I say fuck it," Arin shrugged.

Dan nodded, "Fuck it." He turned into a wisp of shadow, floating forward and seeping through Arin's skin. Arin had almost forgotten the feeling, his irises turning solid black, but keeping the white surrounding them. Arin's sight was sharpened, along with his hearing. He heard Dan think, _I think we might be the first couple to ever try something this insane_.

 _Well, that's because we're the only two stupid enough to think it'll work out_ , Arin thought back.

 _Touche, now let's go_ , Dan floated them up to the window, realizing it had already been broken and flying them through it. They landed on the roof, overlooking the scene.

Kevin appeared to be focusing intently on the dragon, which was seeming to be forcibly split apart into two smaller dragons. Barry was firing a crossbow with rapid, deadly precision, standing alongside Suzy, who was throwing vials that would explode into various colors with an even wider variety of affects. Some demons reeled away with burning skin, some getting knocked out from poisonous gases, others having their skin melted off via acidic solutions. 

Jack and Mark were easy to spot, Jack a whirling cyclone of swords all his own while Mark shot spells that usually took demons down with one hit. Arin frowned, seeing a larger demon wielding a broad axe approaching Mark from behind. He was trying to figure out if he could somehow warn him before they looked up, hearing a deafening screech, the war cry of a monstrous bird sweeping in through the mist. Arin grinned--she had pink feathers.

Holly swept down, grasping the demon behind Mark in her talons and flying off, releasing him so the velocity sent him flying back into a tree. She veered around, shrieking again as Ross flew in on a hovering, glowing platform of his own making. He was suddenly wearing a cape that flapped behind him, Ross wearing a very smug look on his face as he yelled, "Cheers, the cavalry is here!"

Dan started to ask, _What the fuck is he-_ , before they heard a distinct voice fast approaching, yelling, "I can't believe this is actually happening!"

Arin jumped, a large green bird flying in, squawking and landing on a nearby roof, his eyes glowing red. Arin mumbled, "Is that..." noticing the bird had a rider.

"Sick 'em, Jacques!" Jon said with a fist in the air. A now transformed Jacques flapped his wings, cawing and firing a laser from his eyes into the army of demons, sending several flying. "Woooo! This is the greatest day of my life!"

 _He's having fun, at least_ Dan mused.

"Too much," Arin said, "but come on, we've got a job to do."

 _Right_ Dan replied, the two of them running off along the roof, scanning the other rooftops. All at once, they tripped, the shingles beneath Arin's feet jutting up on their own accord. A dark mist swirled into the figure of Brian before them, cooing, "You're doing extraordinarily well."

"Thanks," Arin said dryly, "but I don't buy that."

"I'm being entirely serious," Brian said. "In fact, it's rather annoying."

"Sorry," Arin smirked, Dan's voice coming from his throat, "didn't know we were too good for you."

Brian chuckled darkly, "Don't flatter yourselves," before he multiplied into several Brians that surrounded them. "You're good. But not good enough." 

The Brian clones lunged, two grabbing Arin's arms. Arin growled, yanking out of one's grip by using the repellent spell, but another took his place, a third putting Arin in a headlock. Dan growled from inside Arin, boosting the strength of Arin's power to emit a pulse of energy that essentially shocked all the clones. They all stepped back, Dan conjuring two whips to Arin's hands. Arin let Dan do the work, tripping a clone on his right and slicing through the face of a clone on their left. They just kept multiplying, Arin saying, "There's too many."

 _Hold on_ Dan said, tapping into Arin's energy again to multiply and animate their weapons. The whips behaved like snakes, strangling some clones and pulling others back, one throwing one clone into another and sending them both off the roof. 

Brian said, "Remarkable. You're able to feed off one another without one being fully in charge."

"Wish you'd known about that, huh?" Arin remarked.

"Mm, no," Brian said, holding up a hand, the whips burning until they disintegrated. Their energy was draining fast, Brian pressing his advantage and making a few more clones to grip onto Arin's body again. Arin had never prepared for repelling this many opponents at once, the original Brian stepping forward, growling, "See how you like being ripped from your host."

 _No!_ Arin heard Dan shout before Brian's hands fazed through his chest, feeling Dan struggle against him, but to no avail. The Brian clones dragged Arin back as Brian held tight to Dan's shirt. Dan bared his teeth, grabbing Brian's arms with his extra hands, trying to pry himself free. "Let me go you cocksucking son of a bitch!"

"Now now, that was rude," Brian said, shadow tendrils grabbing hold of Dan for him and turning him around to face Arin, who was still struggling against the clones. "I think, for that, you get to watch me throw your precious summoner off the roof. I do hope he's been practicing his levitation."

"I think the fuck not," Dan snarled, his eyes turning black as he started pulling against the shadows. 

"Dan," Arin said before a clone shoved him off the edge.

Dan stopped struggling. The world all but stopped around him. Brian smirked behind Dan, shortly turning to a frown when a blur of green shot up from below.

"Top o' the mornin' to ya!" Jack yelled, hefting Arin along with him. He dropped Arin on the neighboring rooftop, jumping the gap and punching a Brian clone in the nose. Brian suddenly screamed in pain, a burning sensation piercing his stomach.

"Iron swords, handy to have in one's artillery," Mark said from behind him. 

Brian reeled, "You think one sword is going to be enough to stop me?" as he grabbed Mark by the throat. 

"Try two," Jack snapped, jumping over Dan and driving a sword through Brian's shoulder as he came back down.

Brian sunk to his knees, Dan tearing through the shadows binding him as Brian's strength weakened. He turned, taking a sword handed to him by Jack, saying, "Or three," as he drove it through Brian's chest.

The fog around the entire neighborhood started to dissipate, the dragons that Kevin was fighting turning to golden light that melted and swirled their way to the roof, joining their master's robes once more. Brian's breath became labored, rasping, "That was...playing dirty. I guess...I shouldn't complain," with a weak grin, coughing up a bit of blood.

Dan glowered down at him, "You're damn right."

Brian chortled, "I guess...there are worse ways to go. You all proved...an interesting challenge."

Jack said, "Glad we could make your pitiful life interestin', ya rat bastard. See ya in hell."

"I certainly will," Brian sighed, taking a final breath before dissipating into a column of smoke with a golden beam of light at its core. The light slowly died out until it was at last extinguished, leaving them all in relative darkness.

The group remained silent, not sure whether to believe it was over. The rooftop remained still, and when there were no surprise attacks of revenge from a revived Brian or a dragon of any kind, Mark embraced Jack. Jack smiled, starting to laugh, nuzzling into Mark's neck.

Dan smiled, turning to see Arin, who was still stranded on the other roof. Dan took off running, shifting into his normal human form as he went, leaping across the gap and into Arin's arms. Arin was beaming, glad Dan didn't weigh much, spinning him around before dipping him into a kiss. "We did it," he said breathlessly. "We actually fucking did it."

"Who knew, right?" Dan grinned, sliding a hand into Arin's hair and kissing him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes i did steal those chapter titles from an nsp song XD i'd like to formally apologize for this chapter taking so long to be released, im thinking this will end at 30 chapters to make it even (and to finish out with extra fluff amirite) but we'll see how that goes X3


	30. The Aftermath

After Brian's death, Kevin made sure the remaining demons from his army disbanded. The neighborhood was in something of a shamble, but Kevin took the time to use magic to fix the majority of it, rubble being replaced to its original position in walls or fences or windows. Holly also, to Jon's great disappointment, had to remove the charm from Jacques that had turned him into a flying, laser-eyed beast, but she did promise him she'd visit to replace the charm once in awhile. 

Ross kept himself busy helping Kevin clean up, Barry and Suzy going around to treat any sustained injuries the group had received during the fiasco. Arin, Dan, Mark, and Jack found themselves sitting on the roof, taking a well deserved break to watch the ongoing of the cleanup crew. Dan's head was on Arin's shoulder, Arin's arm tucked around the demon to rub his side, while Jack lay with his head in Mark's lap, Mark absently running a hand through Jack's hair. They were silently enjoying the peace and quiet, though none of them could quite shake the feeling that Brian wasn't gone. 

When all was said and done, Ross and Holly took their leave, Holly doing most of the hugging goodbye while Ross exchanged a few handshakes. Jon also said he had to go make sure his store hadn't been 'blown up or some shit' while he'd been gone, opting to walk home alone, Jacques on his shoulder. Barry and Kevin didn't stick around, either, though Kevin did say, "You all performed phenomenally. Thank you," to the group before their departure. His words carried a sense of pride in their accomplishments, but with an undertone of loss for a demon of his own caliber. 

Suzy was the last to leave, giving Mark a handbook on potion brewing in case he wanted to take up a new hobby, hugging each of them goodbye before hitting the road.

The remaining four settled in Mark's living room, Mark putting out some cheese and crackers and tea. After a few moments of companionable silence, Jack said, "It's kinda a damn shame we don't like...get powered up for beatin' a demon stronger than us."

Dan shrugged, "I dunno, I say it still counts for something."

"But I wouldn't have argued if the universe was like 'good job mates, here, lemme make you two tier fives for the job well done'."

Dan snorted, "I think I'm comfortable finding out I have the power of a tier four."

Mark chuckled, "Besides, I think the power might go to your little green head," as he ruffled Jack's hair.

Jack shooed his hand away, "It ain't that little, ya smug bastard."

Arin grinned, taking a quiet drink of tea. Dan noted his lack of commentary, setting a hand on his knee. Arin glanced to him, reading the silent question in Dan's gaze. Arin grinned in response, Dan smiling in return. Jack looked between them, saying, "Oh hell naw, go fuck on your own couch! Ya don't need to stay 'ere anymore."

Arin blinked, slapping a hand to his forehead, "Oh fuck, that's right, I haven't been home in weeks! The fucking fridge is probably a bio-hazard by now!"

Dan laughed, "I can help you burn it down. We can get you a new fridge," while wrapping an arm around him in comfort.

Arin paused, saying, "Wait, you don't want us fucking on your couch?"

"No, tha's disgusting!" Jack grimaced.

Mark mumbled, "We've done it," making both Dan and Arin stand up immediately.

Arin clapped his hands together, "Well. I think that's our cue to go."

Mark chortled, standing as well, helping Jack up. The four didn't move--living together for so long caused them to start feeling inseparable. Mark said, "Even though these past few weeks have been nothing but nightmarish...you're welcome back anytime. And I expect you," he pointed at Arin, "to keep practicing your skills."

Arin said, "Dude, are you fucking kidding? The last time I summoned a demon I inadvertently started a war that almost got all my friends killed."

"But you didn't," Dan grinned, kissing his cheek.

"Still, I think I'm going to take a break from magic for awhile."

"Alright, that's fair."

Jack said, "Just don't get too crazy after the both of ya get back. I don't wanna be kept up all night."

Arin scoffed, "Oh, like you two weren't gonna be up all night anyway."

Jack blushed, glaring at him while Mark chuckled, tucking an arm around Jack's side. Mark said, "We'll try to keep noises to a bare minimum."

"Good," Arin said, sharing a moment of silence before the four of them started laughing. Dan buried his face in Arin's shoulder, Arin holding a stitch in his side from laughing so hard for the first time in a long while. Mark covered his face with a hand to suppress the tears of mirth, Jack punching Arin's shoulder and giving Mark a tight, sideways hug. 

After they finally started calming down, Dan said, "Get in here, all of you," holding his arms out wide, beckoning them in for a group hug. They all huddled in, Arin feeling his ass get pinched, not able to tell who had done it but guessing it was probably Mark. At length, they all backed out, Arin saying, "Thanks for everything, Mark. We owe you."

"Hey, if I ever end up pissing off a tier five demon, I'll let you know, and we can all hole up in your place next time."

"Sounds good. I'll try to get the place dusted before then."

"Yeah right," Mark snorted.

"Yeah, you're right."

"Yes yes love and hugs, now piss off ya moochers," Jack made a shooing motion.

"Love you, too, Sean," Arin smirked, running for the door when Jack started coming at him. Dan rolled his eyes and walked after them with Mark, the two standing in front of Mark's door to watch Jack chase Arin down the street. 

Dan said, "What a couple of dorks."

"You're tellin' me," Mark grinned fondly.

~~~

It was a several day project, but with the help of magic, Arin and Dan managed to clean up, restock, and reorganize Arin's apartment into a suitable living area for two. Arin said, "Wow, this is the cleanest it's been since I moved in."

"And in three days, it'll be back to normal!" Dan chirped. "Which is to say, a complete fucking mess."

Arin punched his shoulder, though he muttered, "I know."

Dan smiled warmly, gathering Arin up into a hug as he hummed in endearment. Arin didn't hug him back, but he did set a hand on Dan's head. Dan suddenly purred, "So, about making messes," into Arin's ear before nibbling Arin's earlobe.

Arin made a thoughtful expression, rubbing his chin as he tried not to react to Dan grinding his hips up against Arin's thigh. "You're starting to speak my language," Arin mused.

"How about now?" Dan smirked, sliding a hand into Arin's pants.

Arin blinked, "Um, yeah, okay, take it easy."

Dan giggled, taking the hand back out and tracing his tongue along Arin's neck, "Let's keep Jack up all night long."

Arin nodded slowly, turning to face Dan more directly. "Challenge accepted," he mumbled before cupping Dan's jaw, kissing him earnestly, sliding the hand back into Dan's hair. 

Dan grinned, sighing, "I love you."

"Love you, too, you curly haired dork," Arin replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well, here we are. sadly all good things must come to an end
> 
> but that leaves room for new things to begin!!!  
> soon, and i can't promise how soon, but i do still plan on writing the grump vampire au. in it, dan will be the vampire, to try to keep with my theme of dan being the "monster". keep an eye out :D   
> thank you all so much for reading and for the supportive comments, it's been fun to write and i'm sure i'll find more grump AU's to create. ideas and suggestions are always welcome here! stay beautiful everyone~
> 
> (ps depending how upset people are it ended where it did i may add an epilogue of some kind, we'll see ;3 )


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